Twilight of the Goddesses
by Lord Syntax
Summary: Ganondorf embarks on a crusade against Hyrule's Goddesses, blaming them for the demise of his people. Stopping at nothing in order to destroy them, he threatens the balance of the world and drags both Link and Zelda into his vengeful struggle.
1. Breaking the Cycle

**Chapter 1: Breaking the Cycle**

The unrelenting, ever-turning gears of history had once again come full circle, and the three Triforce bearers had been led together by fate to re-enact a familiar scene yet again. Before a suitable backdrop of a pitch-dark sky and terrible lightning storms, on the top of a high tower overlooking a ruined land, after a long, drawn-out clash that had seemed like hours, the three had just entered the final act of an oft-repeated drama.

Ganon, the self-styled King of Evil, lay bloodied and beaten on the tower floor, his sword broken, his breathing heavy. The Triforce of Power glowed but weakly on his right hand, as though mirroring its owners tenuous connection to life.

Link, the eternally recurring Hero of Hyrule, stood before him, his breathing equally laboured, but the grim satisfaction of victory written over his face. The Blade of Evil's Bane which he had used to strike down Ganon shone brightly, as if in triumph, matched only by the radiance of the Triforce of Courage on his left hand.

Zelda, the Crown Princess of Hyrule, a realm once again devastated by the forces of the evil king, only now approached the two combatants, having supported Link with her impressive array of magic spells from a distance during his fight. A sparkling aura of magical power surrounded her, and the Triforce of Wisdom on her hand shone as bright as Link's.

All of them had been in similar places before, gone through similar motions before, though only Ganon had done so in the flesh; Zelda and Link were but the most recent links in a chain of heroes that inevitably rose up to thwart Ganon's ambition. Link might not even consciously realize this fact, she thought, as his destiny was to be reincarnated without more than vague memories each time evil threatened Hyrule. Zelda, on the other hand, knew her history, and that many of her namesakes throughout the centuries were her witnesses. Surely, Ganon must remember? After all, as far as she could tell, he was still the same Ganon, who more than two-thousand years ago had come from the desert, bearing the name of Ganondorf and the guise of friendship, to bring suffering and ruin to the kingdom of Hyrule for the first time. Since then, he had been killed and resurrected or sealed away and then freed again a score times over, always coming back from the darkest of places to visit again his wrath upon her land, even after that land had sunk to the bottom of the ocean and was risen up again.

Every princess Zelda was prepared – groomed, even – for the task of banishing Ganon back into his prison should he return during her lifetime, and she was no different. She was barely 20 years old, but had known since her early childhood that this day might come, and she was prepared to do what was expected of her.

But before that, she had a once-in-a-lifetime, no, a once-in-a-century opportunity, and she would be a fool to let it go to waste. She approached Ganon, who after his defeat had assumed his original Gerudo form of a dark-skinned, red-haired human of powerful build and regal features. She dropped down to her knees – which seemed to surprise Link, as he let out a wordless gasp – and looked the personification of evil in the face.

"Can you hear me? I have to talk to you," she said, successfully banishing all uncertainty and trembling from her voice.

She was answered by an incredulous stare from the King of Evil. Like Link, he, too, had not anticipated this change in the script. She chose to take that as a yes.

"Why are you doing this? Why do you come back, again and again, when you full well know you cannot succeed? Why do you torment this land so? A thread of blood runs through the tapestry of Hyrule's history, a thread by the name of Ganon."

The former Gerudo king looked at her in defiance and disgust.

"My name is _Ganondorf_."

Zelda shook her head gravely.

"You forsook your human name the moment you abused the power of the Gods to become a demon, the moment you dedicated your life to sowing destruction and ruin. What is your aim? Should you ever conquer Hyrule for good – what would you do? Sit atop a lonely throne in an empty castle with only the howling wind as your companion, while your monsters ravage the countryside, turning everyone's life into a never-ending nightmare? Is that what you want to be – the king of a dead land, inhabited by corpses and monsters, and, eventually, only by you? A mindless demon empowered by the Gods, surveying the emptiness of your realm that is only matched by the emptiness in your heart?"

"You do not understand."

Ganon used what was left of his strength to pull himself up to one knee, to see eye to eye with the princess. Link, who had watched the scene with growing distrust, immediately leapt in, the Master Sword drawn, but Zelda bade him to stay his hand. In his condition, Ganon was not a danger to her.

"I need not win, not ever," he rasped. "That is not my purpose. Do you not see? I have become an endless nightmare to the Hylians, a demon king whose name is whispered in terror! I am the scourge of Hyrule, the bane of your kingdom, whose inevitable return the people await with the same helpless dread as a flood or an earthquake! That has become my reason to exist. That alone is my purpose."

So he knew. He knew that what he did was futile, that he – as well as them – was merely a puppet dancing to the strings of fate, doomed to repeat the same old performance for the rest of eternity. And he embraced it, for the sake of infamy. How far this king had fallen. She averted her face in disgust.

Zelda let out a sigh, turned back to Ganon and prepared herself to banish him into the Dark Realm that had become his prison so long ago. But before she could do so, the King of Evil looked into her eyes once more, a strangely sentimental cast over his face, and whispered.

"But it wasn't always this way. Once, ages ago... no, it seems like eons... I had a different purpose. A more... noble one, I guess you could call it."

The Princess stalled her spell, her curiosity renewed. Where was the evil one going with this?

"I used to be a king, as no doubt you know. Not a King of Evil, but a steward of people. A king who was, if not beloved, at least trusted and respected by his people. They called themselves the Gerudo_._"

That much Zelda knew from ancient tomes that recounted the history of her land; unsurpringly, the rise of the Gerudo King was well-documented by scholars, as was the plight of his people.

"But when the Gods set the peoples of Hyrule in their places, they chose to curse the Gerudo by banishing them into a hostile desert, without water, without fertile land, while the Hylians and the other races got their homelands tailor-made for their needs!"

Ganon's whisper grew louder, his failing voice reinforced by his evident anger.

"They lived in hunger and want, an existence that could barely be called life – until I was born. I promised them a better future – and if the only way to this future was to steal and murder, then so be it! The Hylians whose fields we pillaged and whose granaries we robbed called us thieves and worse. They had never known want and starvation, and yet they chose to look down upon us! And you dare ask me why I hate the Hylians, why I wish to see them suffer even today?"

Zelda was not without sympathies, but how could Ganon possibly feel justified in what he did? Why punish the Hylians of today for perceived or real crimes of their ancestors?

"When I first returned from my initial banishment in the Sacred Realm, I rode back into the desert, to lead my people once again. And do you know what I found?"

She could make a reasonable guess.

"None of them had survived. Not one. I rode across the desert for days, visited all the run-down villages, all the secret hiding-places, but all I found were bones picked clean by the vultures and empty homes where only the winds of death dwelt."

"And my people must pay for this?" Zelda had lost her composure and openly shouted at Ganon. „For how long? Do you not think I feel the same pain as you did when I see the death and destruction brought by your monsters? Can you not see that you are doing the very same thing that you just condemned?"

She rose up, unwilling to further lower herself before this self-centred vengeful creature.

"You are blinded by your own self-pity. You are not even fit to be called a demon, you pathetic wretch of a king. You are nothing more than the beast you fight as."

Behind her, Link nodded in agreement and seemed to urge her to finally banish Ganon into the Dark Realm. But the King of Evil would not leave her scathing words unanswered.

"When your people, too, are to be pitied, princess... who, then, shall I blame? Who, then, shall I hate?"

"You said it yourself," she snapped at him. "The Gods placed the Gerudo in the desert. So there you have it. Don't blame the Hylians, blame the Gods."

„I said it... myself?" He paused as if in recollection of his words. „Yes," he finally said. „Yes, I did. The Gods cursed my people! They are the ones to blame!"

Ganon suddenly rose up to his feet, standing taller than Zelda, and she made a surprised step back. Link was at her side immediately, but Ganon did not even heed him. Nor her, for that matter. Something drastic had changed within him, Zelda knew, though she could not possibly foresee the consequences of that change.

"All this time... all these ages, I've punished only the pawns in a greater game... a game played by the Gods! No, the Goddesses! _They_ gave this world shape, _they_ breathed life into it, and so _they_ are responsible for what happened to my people! They must be punished!"

It was as though the King of Evil had never been beaten, so suddenly did life return into him. His Triforce of Power radiated again, and his eyes burned with renewed fury – fury that was not directed at his former enemies. His gaze turned back to Zelda, and in his eyes there was something like... gratitude?

"I salute you, Princess Zelda. It is not by accident that you bear the Triforce of Wisdom. Your words have opened my eyes, and I am blind no longer. In fact, I see more clearly now than ever before in my life. You have..." He cocked his head as though he did not fully believe his own words. "You have my thanks."

This sudden turn of events, while not entirely negative, was more than a little bit unsettling. When she had first decided to speak to Ganon, she had been unsure how he would react, but she had not expected _this_ development.

Ganon spoke further, now with a solemn tone in his voice.

"I swear to you, Princess Zelda, by the one thing that I hold sacred, the memory of the Gerudo tribe, that I shall never again visit harm upon your people. Never again shall I set their lands ablaze with the fires of war, or chill them with the cold touch of death. That I swear, and may the ghosts of my people drag me down into the deepest abyss if I break that oath."

Zelda could not quite believe her ears, but there was a sincerity in his words that could not be denied. She usually knew when someone lied to her – a talent not uncommon in the royal bloodline – and as best as she could tell, Ganon meant what he said.

"I will not insult you by asking for forgiveness. I know that it can never be granted. A day may come when there'll be an opportunity for repentance – but this is not the day. Today, I go again to war – to war with the Gods!"

_This is very bad_, Zelda thought to herself. Ganons hatred and hunger for vengeance had not ceased to exist, they had simply found a new target. She was unsure what to do, as Ganon had been wholly rejuvenated; she very much doubted that her banishing spell would work on him in an unweakened state. Link, on the other hand, was still very much exhausted, though he did his best not to show it. He had assumed a ready stance halfway between her and Ganon, sword and shield held high, his unlimited courage spurning him to renew the fight, even when there was little hope for victory. But Zelda could not let him do this, and she gently touched his arm and urged him back. Ganon was wholly oblivious to their movements, staring instead up into the night sky with a maniacal fury unmatched by anything he had shown before.

"Can you hear me, Gods," he shouted with a booming voice that surely could be heard all over the kingdom, "up there in your lofty realms, upon your cloudy pillows? Your time is up! I, the Great Ganondorf, will destroy you! I shall rise into the sky and shake the Heavens, and see you plunge down to earth with great delight! I shall blast you to pieces, and scatter the pieces upon the wind, and gather them again to grind them into even smaller pieces, until there is nothing left of you at all! It will be as if you never had existed in the first place, as if this world had never been besmirched by your foul touch!" He lifted up his right fist, and the Triforce mark sent a beam of light into the night sky, piercing the dark clouds. "And I will use your own power to bring you down, the power that you left on this world in your foolish arrogance! It will be your undoing, and the world will be the better for it!"

Zelda half expected the Gods to react to this declaration of war and come down to smite Ganon, but if they had heard his challenge, they did not see fit to heed it with any sign.

_Can he really do it?_ she wondered. Could he truly do such a thing... destroy the Goddesses? And what would be the repercussions for the rest of the world?

Positively exhilarated, Ganon turned his attention back to the two of them.

"I bid you farewell now, my beloved enemies of old. I must prepare for the war against the Gods, for they cannot be taken lightly." He allowed himself a smile, the first time Zelda had ever seen him do that. "And I extend my gratitude to you, Link, the boy – no, the man – whom I could never defeat. Our struggles over the centuries have only made me stronger. If I succeed in the task that lies before me, it will be in no small part thanks to you."

Link did not seem to be particularly pleased with that, nor could he bring himself to say something in return. The righteous hatred he surely held for Ganon – he and all the other Legendary Heroes that hat preceded him – was far too strong to be simply swept aside by a grand promise and a few complimentary words. Zelda, too, stood silent, not out of contempt, but out of disbelief. The King of Evil did not seem to take offence at their silence, though, and performed a slight bow in their direction.

"I would say that we will not meet again – but the three of us are still bound together by the Triforce, and as long as it exists, it will continue to draw us toward each other. When next we meet, may it be under better stars."

Ganon crossed his arms over his chest and was slowly engulfed by an almost tangible darkness. As it covered his face, Zelda saw a look of terrible determination there, and knew without a doubt that he would walk down his path all the way until the end, whatever that might be. Then the darkness dissipated like smoke, and Ganon was gone. The dark clouds up in the sky also withdrew, and light once again shone upon Hyrule, yet Zelda could not feel the joy she ought to have felt.

Link almost immediately dropped to his knees, the exhaustion from his terrible battle against Ganon finally taking its toll. He closed his eyes, took several deep, long breaths, then took a water skin from his belt and emptied it like a man who was about to die of thirst. After that, he simply sat there, saying nothing, merely regaining enough of his strength to be able to stand. Zelda, however, was not so fortunate as to be overcome by physical fatigue. Her mind was focused on Ganon, and the deadly purpose she had seen in his eyes. And the fact that if it had not been for her words, he would by now be imprisoned within the Dark Realm instead of being free, as powerful as ever and set on a path that would surely lead Hyrule and the entire world to ruin.

_By the Goddesses_, she thought, _what have I unleashed? What have I done?_


	2. Weird Sisters

**Chapter 2: Weird Sisters**

High above the earth, in the Celestial Ream that mortals in their ignorance called the Heavens, the three Goddesses that had created Hyrule had come together, each of them of course having observed Ganondorf's railings against them. They met within the Hall of Justice, although justice was unlikely to be meted out anytime soon, as they simply had come to confer about what had just transpired below. There had been no need to formally call a meeting – the events had been significant enough to catch everyone's attention on their own.

"Did you see how bold he was," Din, mocked. "I am trembling with fear! Oh no, it's not me, it's the Heavens! He's shaking them already!" She laughed out loud, amused by the threats of the King of Evil. "Good gracious, _the Heavens_! He doesn't know the tiniest thing, does he? And yet he spouts these overblown threats for everyone to hear... it would be pathetic if it wasn't so funny!"

Her fellow Goddesses did not seem to agree with her assessment. At least, she was the only one laughing.

"Why so serious? Or are you afraid? I say we go down there and show him who he's messing with! He forgot that his powers came from us! He's nothing without us!"

"The Triforce of Power is his," Nayru stated in a flat voice. "And that power cannot be taken from him, not even by us, until the Triforce is yet again united or the bearer dies. And I need not remind you that using the Triforce has made him effectively as immortal as ourselves. He has all the time in the world to plot against us."

"I agree with Nayru," Farore said. "He may not be a threat yet, but he might become one if he pursues his foolish plans."

"All the more reason then to go down there and teach him a lesson in humility!"

The Goddess of Courage sighed. "Of course not. Please, Din, I know you are the youngest, but could you at least try to think about our dignity? We are the Goddesses of this world. Even if Ganon may pose a danger to us one day, we do not simply jump down and lower ourselves on his level. We are much more... subtle than that."

"I don't know anything about subtlety," Din sulked.

"Only too true, sister, but -"

Nayru interrupted. "I do not see the need for interference at all, subtle or otherwise. No matter what his power in the Terrestrial Realm may be, he has no means to enter here. I propose a policy of strict observation, until a moment may come where an actual threat materializes. And it may well never come at all. None may force the hands of the Goddesses without adequate reason."

Farore disagreed. "That approach is far too passive for me. There must be a golden mean between doing nothing and picking up his gauntlet like a drunken brawler!"

"What is your alternative suggestion then?"

"Yeah, out with it. What's your plan? Flood them all again?"

"Very funny. No, we still have two highly reliable agents down in Hyrule. Or at least one... as I am not sure of the Princess's loyalty right now. After all, she was the one who planted this mad idea in his mind. Which, by the way, ought not go unpunished."

"I do not agree with that last part. Princess Zelda is not to blame for that man's insanity. His actions are his own."

"Of course you would say that. She's your little darling..."

"I am above your teasing, little sister. I recommend you try your luck with Farore."

"Be that as it may." The Goddess of Courage tried to get the conversation back on track. "But there remains no doubt, that my agent... I mean, Link, can be relied on to do what is necessary. He handily defeated Ganon but minutes ago."

"Not _that_ handily. It took him some time. And it was two on one, as usual."

"Oh I'm sorry they went so hard on him... on _your_ little darling."

"Enough of this. Conduct yourselves like Goddesses. Wasn't it you who spoke of dignity?"

"Of course, Nayru. My apologies. Regarding Link, we need but send him a dream vision, and he will be on his way again to continue his fight, as he always does. And he will vanquish Ganon – as he always does – and weaken him, and buy us more than enough time to formulate a proper strategy."

"Bah, I'm sick and tired of having this boy do all the fighting and hog all the glory. I know I used to champion Ganon... I still do, sort of, once I've beaten some sense back into him. But this is something we should do ourselves."

"My opinion on this matter has not changed. Non-interference and observation are the best policies... in most situations. Acting prematurely without properly assessing the facts at hand is the very opposite of wisdom. Having Link face him again so soon is unprecedented. He might lose, and what would the repercussions of that be?"

"Wisely spoken, big sister! So I just have to do it, don't I?"

Farore sighed. "Why can we never agree on anything?"

"Indeed," Nayru nodded, "we have arrived at an impasse. We have dominion over this world, but none of us has dominion over the others."

"So I can do whatever I want, right?"

"I am afraid it would appear so," Nayru admitted.

"Excellent! You just stay here and agonize over strategy and stuff, I'll sort this little problem out in no time."

"Appeals to your responsibility seem futile," Farore said, resigning. "Fine, do whatever you please. But do not expect us to not mock you when he bloodies your nose with your own power."

"I must protest. I do not _do_ mockery."

"Yes, I know Nayru. I know."

"Yeah right, like that's going to happen, you sillies. Just you watch."

And with that, the Goddess of Power unceremoniously departed the white-marbled walls of the Hall of Justice, vanishing into thin air, as Goddesses are wont to do. A faint red glow remained, hovering above the spot where she had stood, radiating for a minute until it faded away. Farore watched it disappear and finally let out a moan.

"She's so immature. She still thinks being a Goddess is all fun and games."

"While I cannot condone her actions with good conscience, the net effects of her little... excursion may yet be positive, assuming this questionable ‚duel' can appease her infinite boredom."

"We are Goddesses! A millennium is as a blink of an eye to us, and a blink of an eye is as a millenniums, whichever we choose. Being bored is so... so unbecoming."

"You worry too much about what is proper instead of what simply _is_."

"Well, at least one of us does."

The two remaining Goddesses remained silent for a while, each of them pondering their own thoughts. They spent most of their time in the Heavens that way – silently pondering, thinking, occasionally watching the events on the world below if they judged them sufficiently interesting, rarely – _very_ rarely – interfering. Neither of them chose to watch what Din was doing down in Hyrule, though; perhaps to spite Din who surely wanted to show off. Neither Nayru nor Farore approved of their younger sister's impulsive behaviour, and if she knew she had an audience, she might behave even more reckless than otherwise. And since she was a Goddess, she would know.

After some minutes or hours or days, Farore broke the silence.

"Do you think it's possible she could lose?" A hint of concern coloured her voice. „Ganon does bear the Triforce of Power, after all. And if she just rushes in without thinking – and you know that's what she will do -"

"The probability of her losing is non-zero. But then again, so is the probability of every event. The Triforce may contain a good fraction of our powers, but less so when split in three as it is right now. Even considering Ganon's own innate magic abilities – which are admittedly considerable – the worst he could do is damage her pride by forcing a draw, since he has no way of truly harming her."

"That's not very comforting. Even a draw would be horrible... I would die of embarrassment."

"We are the Goddesses. We do not _do_ dying."

"You are right, of course. You are right."

* * *

Din soared through the empty skies of Hyrule, drawing a trail of red flame behind her, though she made herself invisible to all who might look up, as her fellow Goddesses frowned upon showing themselves to the mortals of this world. Her eyes surveyed square miles of landscape at a time, noticing the numerous tiny creatures moving so very slowly over the land, losing valuable time of their short lives. She had once felt a certain amount of fondness for them, but time and boredom had chipped away at that, and now she could only watch them with indifference. They were not what she was looking for, anyway; she was seeking out only one specific dweller of this realm, eager to show him just who he was dealing with.

Unfortunately, he was nowhere to be found.

It did not take her long to scan all the lands of Hyrule for traces of Ganon, and she found many of his monsters still aimlessly wandering the landscape, but not their master himself. She wondered whether he had crossed beyond the vast mountain ranges that surrounded the kingdom of Hyrule, but she found that very unlikely, as Ganon's ambitions had never strayed from this place – that was to say, never until this day. But now that he had claimed to be at peace with Hyrule, he might have left for other lands, making laughable preparations for his would-be assault on the Goddesses.

She was just about to resign herself to looking for him elsewhere, when she realized that there was another place where he might hide – no, where he was likely to hide, at least more likely than in far-off Labrynna or some other kingdom: The Sacred Realm. He had spent so many centuries in there, sealed away with no way to escape until his time should come again, that he had made it his base of operations. Over time, his presence had corrupted the land, turning it into a dark world, the few adventurers or treasure-seekers who stumbled there either taken by monsters or becoming monsters themselves. The Hylians who knew about it called it the Dark Realm, a fitting name for this wretched world halfway between the lands of the humans and the lands of the Gods. Whatever sanctity it had possessed as the resting place of the Triforce had vanished without a trace, and for a long time now it had been nothing more than a breeding ground for the worst types of monsters and other foul creatures.

Din very much hated that place.

However, Ganon was likely to be found there, hiding away somewhere among his filthy servants, quite possibly quivering in fear and regretting his bold declaration of war. She could imagine the look on his face when he realized that he need not bother trying to find the Gods, that the Gods were coming to him to punish him, and it was a comforting image that strengthened her resolve. Besides, she had boasted to her sisters that she would strike him down, and as much as she loved them, she would never give them the satisfaction of seeing their impulsive younger sister come home without achieving her goal. The taunts she would have to endure!

So she chose to ignore her disgust for the Dark Realm and venture there; after all, the sooner she beat up Ganon, the sooner she could get out of that appalling place. She opened up a portal – an easy feat for a Goddess like her, obviously – held her nose, and crossed over.


	3. A Lesson in Humility

**Chapter 3: A Lesson in Humility**

Mere seconds after vanishing from the top of his tower, which was no longer of any use, as he had no further claims of lordship over Hyrule, Ganondorf reappeared in his temple within the Dark Realm. In earlier times, crossing between the Dark Realm and the world of Hyrule had not come that easy to him – he had required pre-existing portals to successfully cross over. But that was long ago, and today, Ganondorf could teleport between the two realms with great ease. He never forgot a spell once cast, a blow once parried, a defeat once suffered, and so he had grown only stronger and smarter and more powerful over the many centuries of his life. Of course, he had spent most of the time dominated by what he now recognized as an irrational obsession to conquer and devastate Hyrule, squandering his ever-increasing abilities fighting a fight he, for some reason, would not win.

Until today, the day his life had changed. He had seen the error of his ways, and was now ready to rid the world of the foul gods that bore the full guilt for the terrible fate of his people.

However, in spite of his admittedly somewhat pathos-laden words back there, he actually had no idea how to do this. Of course that would not stop him. He was the great Ganondorf, after all. He would find a way have his revenge on the Gods.

But first, there were more pressing matters to attend to. The armies of monsters that he had unleashed on Hyrule had to be called back, in accordance to his promise to Princess Zelda. He had already taken care of the unnatural blanket of darkness – removing it had been easy, accomplished with the blink of an eye. He would have to concentrate for his next spell, though – opening a number of portals from the Dark Realm to Hyrule, and order his minions to cross back to the other side. There would be complaining, of course – with an army of largely unintelligent monsters, there was always complaining, about anything and everything. Ganondorf usually ignored it, knowing well that in the end, they were likely to obey his every order, simply because they were not very good at thinking on their own. In this case, however, he would not brook any delays – he had given his word, and he had a reputation to uphold.

He cast his spell, and all over Hyrule, the portals opened, all leading to the huge plain before his sanctum that was large enough to house his entire monster army twice over. To his surprise, many of his minions did not even await his orders; as soon as the portals were usable, they charged back into the Dark Realm in great numbers. For a moment, Ganondorf was baffled as to why that was. Then he realized that it was the bright light of the sun that irked them and drove them back; many monsters could not stand the light and fled it whenever they could.

_Just as well_, he thought, and readied himself for opening a second wave of portals, as a familiar voice interrupted him.

"Back so soon, my lord? Did anything... go wrong?"

He did not need to see the black-robed, black-haired, human-sized figure that had crept out of the shadows of his throne room to recognize her as Agyra, his servant. She had been the daughter of a powerful Hylian wizard, whom Ganondorf had tried to convince to work with him during his most recent invasion of Hyrule. It was a tried-and-tested strategy that he employed often: Have a subordinate, preferably one interested in acquiring power at any cost, prepare his invasion by stirring up all sorts of troubles such as magical thunderstorms or minor monster infestations, not only to soften up the defences of the Hylians, but also to serve as a smokescreen and to hide his own involvement until it was too late. Of course he had done this so often during his attacks that the smokescreen part did not really work anymore; whenever magical trouble of any kind befell Hyrule, no matter who seemed to be the perpetrator, Ganondorfs was always suspected as the mastermind. This had the pleasant side-effect that he was even suspected when he had actually nothing to do with the troubles at all, and thus furthered his own notoriety and the people's fear of him.

The last time, though, his contact had refused to work with him, citing petty ethical concerns as a reason to refuse. He even tried to fight Ganondorf after he had revealed himself – a brave, but foolish move, and he had dispatched the scrupulous wizard immediately. Fortunately for his plans, his daughter of maybe 19 years or so had been more receptive to his suggestions, and had agreed to do what her father had refused. After the actual invasion that she had helped to facilitate, he had sent her into the Dark Realm to keep watch over his holdings there. Her aptitude for dark magic was impressive, as was her willingness to go to great lengths to fulfill her ambitions; traits Ganondorf valued highly, even if he did not really care for the woman. However, explaining the radically altered situation to her might not be so easy as converting her to his cause.

"There has been a change of plans," he told her as she assumed her usual place, at his right side but several steps behind him, where she would be out of sight when he didn't wish to be bothered, but wanted to keep her close by to call on her if he needed her. She referred to this arrangement as 'being his shadow', and Ganondorf liked it that way.

"How so, my lord?"

"As of right now, all our operations in Hyrule are over."

"My... my lord?" She was incredulous, not much to his surprise.

"Be silent, I have work to do."

"My lord, one question, please! Why did you... no, what are you going to do now?"

Ganondorf turned his head slightly, so he could see her cloaked face out of the corner of his right eye, and smiled evilly.

"I intend to destroy the Goddesses that created Hyrule."

She did not react, probably baffled.

"I deemed it a more worthy cause than terrorizing the defenceless Hylians."

"Are you all right, my lord? That... doesn't sound like you at all."

"I assure you, I am quite all right. In fact, I feel better than I've felt in a long time. So, are you still with me?"

"You promised me great power and lordship over parts of Hyrule!"

"I still have great power to give, many things to teach you, if you are willing – but the war on Hyrule is over. I now make war only on the Gods."

"That is not what I signed up for!"

"Feel free not to stick around, then," Ganondorf said, waving Agyra away with a dismissive gesture. He had not expected her to warm up for his new cause, and quite frankly, he did not much care. She was very talented, yes, but talent was plentiful elsewhere, and it was not like he really needed her to wage his war on the Gods. He would be too busy to notice her absence in the foreseeable future.

He opened the second wave of portals, to lead back the monsters that were spread out on the periphery of Hyrule. Everything went smoothly – but then he noticed that Agyra was still standing there, unmoving.

"Well, what shall it be? My patience is limited."

"If you want it like that... all right, I'm out of here, while I still can," she said contemptuously. "You are getting in over your head, 'my lord', and I have no plans of going down with you. Your reputation is well-deserved, though – you _are_ insane." That said, she strode past him without looking at him and walked towards the exit, muttering to herself. "Fighting against the Goddesses! That's just crazy! I don't have a death wish!"

Ganondorf was amused by her courage to actually speak up to him. But as soon as she was out of the room, his attention was directed elsewhere – by a thundering, female voice that seemed to come from everywhere around him, and that called out to him.

"Ganon! I have decided to answer your foolish challenge, and send you running like the mangy dog you are! Come out and fight me if you dare, that I may see whether you're all talk or not."

_How splendid_, Ganondorf thought. _The Goddesses are saving me the trouble of getting to them and come to me instead! Well, one of them, at least._

Not content to walk or teleport out of his temple, he decided to give her a proper entrance. He rose up into the air, blew away the roof of his sanctum with one short hand gesture, and rose up flying into the ever-gloomy sky of the Dark Realm.

And stared into the face of a giant.

Ganondorf did not know the meaning of fear, and so he was not alarmed by the look of his opponent; though he might _just_ have been surprised, if only a little. She had the form of a Hylian woman, except for the red glow that surrounded her. And her size, of course, as she was taller than his temple was high. Not that Ganondorf was so easily impressed. After all, size did not... well, size certainly mattered less than one might be inclined to believe.

"Here I am," he shouted, hovering before her head which was as big as he was tall, and he was no small man. His Triforce or Power resonated strongly, and that told him who he was facing.

"You are Din, the one who calls herself 'Goddess of Power'."

"And you are Ganon, the one who calls himself 'King of Evil'."

"Wrong!" When would people ever get it right? Were they trying to infuriate him by bastardizing his name? If so, they usually succeeded. "My name is _Ganondorf_."

"Yeah, whatever. Are you ready for the most painful day of your life?"

Ignoring her taunts for the moment, Ganondorf overlooked the scene. Dins feet were planted on the plain before his temple, the magical portals to Hyrule he had just opened visible at the height of her ankles. There was no sign of his army of monsters; either the Goddess had smitten them without leaving so much as a trace, or they had preferred the blinding light of the Hylian sun to facing down this giant and fled back through the portals. The latter, he thought, was more likely.

The oversized body of the Goddess was clad in shining plate armor, and in her hands she wielded a humungous mace that probably could have torn down the walls of his temple with one blow. She noticed him examining her, and laughed.

"Too big for you? I can shrink down to your size if you ask nicely."

"That will not be necessary," Ganondorf answered, enraged by the arrogance of the Goddess who sought to impress him with her physical appearance. He was already planning to use his comparatively minuscule size to his advantage.

"Then come at me, Ganon! You promised to blast us to pieces? Then give it your best shot!"

The time for taunts was over, Ganondorf decided, and called forth a ball of dark magical energies – medium strength, just to test her limits – and flung it at Din's head. The Goddess did not even bother to dodge it, and it bounced of her skin without doing damage, dissipating into the air. In return, she struck at his general direction with her club, but Ganondorf was quick enough to evade it.

_Impressive_, he thought. _This will not be as easy as I thought. And I wouldn't have it any other way._

Instead of increasing the power of his magic in increments and thus give her time to get used to them, he immediately went all out on Din, throwing fireballs, lightning and green energy blasts at her in rapid succession, every single missile hitting its target. And every single one of them bouncing of with no visible effect, while Din laughed at him and mocked his efforts, occasionally taking a swipe at him with her giant club which he dogded easily enough.

"Is that the best you can do, Ganon? You disappoint me!"

Talk as much as you like, Ganondorf thought, and waste your breath. I'm not even going to bother with an answer. Instead he increased the frequency of his attacks, trying to hit her eyes this time. She realized his intent, though, and deflected his projectiles with her right hand, resting the mace in her left. But Ganondorf needed just one hit, and he was going to get it. Calling upon all the power he could muster, he began teleporting rapidly, trying to hit her from an unprotected angle. But the Goddess of Power was fast for her size, and not one magic missile hit her eyes. Frustrated, Ganondorf decided to become more brazen. He conjured up one of his many swords – the black shadow blade that used to be his favourite – and teleported directly in front of Dins left eye. He struck out as fast as he could while still retaining a good amount of force, and the sword connected with her red pupil.

Ganondorf felt as he had struck against a wall of steel. His hands and forearms screamed out in pain as the force of the impact reverberated through them, and it took all his discipline not to drop his sword. Not that it mattered, of course, since it had shattered on impact into a thousand pieces that rained down toward the ground like fragments of black glass. But Ganondorf had no time to bemoan his last failed attempt to damage Din, as her huge hand was upon him and slapped him away like an annoying fly. He had no time or concentration to regain control over his trajectory and fly upwards. Instead, he hit the ground hard from the height of a five-story-building. It was not the worst pain he had ever experienced – that privilege belonged to a long-past incident involving the Master Sword and his cranium – but it was close. The truly demoralizing part, however, was that his sword had not even pierced the most vulnerable part of her body. He had to come up with a better plan, and fast.

But he had no time, as Din sent her mace down towards him to crush him. Forcing his battered body to move, he dogded it just in time, but was thrown in the air again by the impact. This time, he somehow managed to stay afloat instead of dropping down again, but it was no good, his movements were to slow: The next swing of the club actually grazed him and sent him flying in an arc, and he hit the stone walls of his own temple so hard the mortar crumbled and several of the stone blocks fell down with him. His body screamed at him to stop, to give up, but he was incapable of yielding. Again he got up, but this time he could not even move away before he was struck by a frontal hit with the club. And another, and another, and another until Ganondorf felt as though every bone in his body was broken and every nerve ending on fire. His superhuman stamina and strength had allowed him to survive the terrible punishment the Goddess was dishing out so far, but now he had reached his limits; after all, this was the second time within but half an hour that he was being beaten within an inch of his life.

His muscles refused to obey him, and as Din grabbed him and lifted him up and held him before her eyes, he could do nothing to prevent it; it took every last ounce of strength to continue breathing, to not give in to the forces that wished to pull him down into the dark place once more, a place he had vowed never to visit again.

"That was all?" Din asked disappointed. "That was the might of the 'great Ganondorf'? You are pathetic. You could no more challenge us than an ant could challenge you – although, in your current state, it would stand a decent chance."

Ganondorf wanted to answer her, to fight back against her mockery if only with words, but his voice failed him.

Din showed him a cold smile. "Know that the Goddesses are merciful, and that in spite of your hubris, we shall let you live. But if you ever dare to challenge us again, we will not forgive another time. So you'd best learn to know your place."

She lifted her hand high up in the air and threw him down one last time. He barely felt the impact anymore as he hit the ground directly in front his temple entrance. He felt the earth tremble with each step of the Goddess as she departed this place, leaving him broken and defeated. The last thing he saw before his consciousness left him was a human-sized figure wearing a black robe coming out of the entrance, her hood thrown back to reveal the sculpted face of Agyra. She stopped briefly at his motionless body and looked down to him with a mix of disdain and pity in her eyes before she walked away and left his sight.

This was without the shadow of a doubt the most humiliating day in the long life of Ganondorf.


	4. In Search of Knowledge

**Chapter 4: In Search of Knowledge**

The Royal Library of Hyrule had suffered comparatively little during Ganondorf's most recent incursion, seeing as he had promised Agyra several priceless tomes with arcane magical knowledge. The fact that the library was hidden away in a subterranean compound several miles from Castle Town had probably helped, too, since the monsters preferred sacking towns and buildings above ground, a painful lesson the Royal Librarians had learned over the centuries. Countless unique volumes had been destroyed during Ganondorf's early invasions, their knowledge often forever lost to the world, not to mention the catastrophic effects of the Great Flood, so that the accumulated body of Hyrule's knowledge suffered from many gaping wounds that would never heal. In spite of that, the Royal Librarians were always diligently at work to archive anything they deemed worthy to survive for future generations, be it books about history, magic, technology (those always seemed to suffer the worst), science or any other conceivable topic. The current library stretched seven stories deep and held more books than any of its predecessors in history, if the archivists were to be believed. It had been three weeks since the fateful day the monsters had suddenly fled Hyrule and the pall of darkness had ceased to cast its shadow over the land, and the damage done by the few marauding monsters had been repaired. The library saw little traffic during the busiest of days, and during this troubled time, even the scholarly inclined inhabitants of Hyrule had more pressing matters to look after than catching up on their reading, so that, not counting the librarians on duty, there was only a single visitor in the library. He had the aspect of an old, bearded man with a grandfatherly smile on his face, and the ever watchful librarians would never have deemed him a danger to their precious books.

_If only they knew who I am_, Ganondorf thought with a wry smile, _they would be fleeing in panic, or foolishly attack me trying to defend their books._

But that was just as well, since he had an oath to keep, and his aims here would be easily achieved without violence, anyway. Satisfied that his magical disguise was working, he inspected the index and then sought out the third story, where the tomes about Hyrule's history could be found. The books were sorted chronologically, thus, the oldest ones could be found on the far side of the room, which was where Ganondorf was headed. The books here were older than himself, he noted, and written in a variation of Hylian that he did not understand. But of course he was prepared for this and had cast a spell on himself that enabled him to read and understand them in spite of this. He scanned the books' spines, reading their titles, until he found one that might serve as an adequate starting point for his search, titled_ Collected Legends of the Sheikah_. He removed it from its shelf, placed it one one of the nearby tables, sat down, and started reading.

Several days ago, Ganondorf would have laughed at the suggestion that he do academic research and go through dusty old tomes in order to increase his power, claiming that there was nothing that could not be learned by simply _doing_ it. But that was before the Goddess of Power had shown him how very weak, no, how unprepared he was for his great mission to destroy the Gods. He had been overconfident to the point of foolish arrogance, and had paid for it with a humiliating defeat.

During the three days he had spent within his temple, slowly recuperating from his battle wounds and going over his fight with Din again and again, he had come to the realization that while he might have the speed and smarts and stamina do go toe to toe with at least one of the Goddesses and last for a while, he lacked the strength, the power to pierce their skin, not to mention their armor, for neither spell nor sword had availed him much. He had considered stealing some of the potent, magic-enhancing talismans held by the royal family of Hyrule, but that would have gone against the truce he had declared, and he doubted that Zelda would have give them to him if only he asked nicely.

But there was another option: If his magic was too weak, maybe he could find a better weapon, one that could penetrate the Gods' divine armor. He knew about the Master Sword, naturally, that had been forged specifically to counter the might of the Triforce and thus the power of the Goddesses; far too often had it weakened the strength of his Triforce of Power by simply being in his vicinity, reflected his most powerful of magics, and cut through his armor and flesh when no other sword had. Not that he could use the Master Sword, of course; it was the ‚Blade of Evil's Bane', and although Ganondorf did not consider himself evil as much as merely highly determined, he could not so much as touch the damned thing without his hands bursting into flame. He had tried that once, long ago, and felt no compulsion of doing so again. But if he learned more about the circumstances of the Master Sword's creation, when, how, and by whom it was forged, he might be able to create another weapon like it, a weapon for him to fight the Gods with.

_Collected Legends of the Sheikah_ had been compiled about a century before his birth, a librarian's note told him, written by an unnamed Hylian scholar who had spent many decades among the long-since extinct shadow people who used to act as the Royal Family's guardians. Ganondorf found most of its contents highly interesting: He knew everything he cared to know about the time after his birth, but the ages before that were largely unknown to him, a few unrelated tales by his teachers aside, as the Gerudo had never been much for writing books and had passed along their history in stories told to each new generation.

He had never known, for instance, that he had not been the first mortal to claim the Triforce for himself; he had been preceded by a Hylian prince whose name had been struck from the pages of history. The legend told that the Triforce had split into three parts then, as it had done when he first touched it, and the prince had plunged the land into war with his desire to regain control over the two pieces lost to him. Here the legends grew vague, as the author's notes remarked, and merely told in few sentences that the prince was defeated with a magical sword forged to oppose the powers of the Gods, which later legends would come to call the Master Sword. Several footnotes referred to a different work with the promising title _The Forging of the Master Sword_. He could not find it anywhere, though, and consulted one of the librarians, who told him with a regretful tone that the book had been lost among many others during the seven years of Ganondorf's first reign of terror over Hyrule, and that there were no known copies in existance.

_What goes around, comes around_, Ganondorf thought sarcastically, displeased at his younger self's foolish actions. If only he could go back in time...

He allowed himself a smile. _That_, he thought, _can be arranged_.

* * *

Hyrule Castle had seen better times. Many of its spires were destroyed, most of its windows broken, and the royal gardens were reduced to trampled fields of mud. The wind howled through the numerous holes in the walls, and if not for a few flickering torch lights behind the ruined windows, it would have appeared devoid of any life. It looked as though a horde of monsters had pillaged the castle, which of course was exactly what had happened, as Ganondorf knew only too well; he had given a group of moblins leave to use the castle as they pleased. Faced again with the consequences of his past actions from a different perspective, he wondered whether events could have taken another course. He wondered if that was what regret felt like.

He violently shook his head, banishing such unbecomingly sentimental thoughts and locking them away in a remote corner of his mind. He could not afford any distractions right now. If he was discovered here, he would have great difficulty convincing Zelda or anyone else that he bore them no malice and was not here for yet another attack on the castle. He was merely looking to steal – no, he reminded himself, to _borrow_ – the Royal Family's most ancient heirloom, the legendary Ocarina of Time. With its power, he could journey back along the timestream to a point before his first invasion of Hyrule, seek out _The Forging of the Master Sword_ in that time period's Royal Library, and return with the knowledge he sought with no one being the wiser.

Of course he was operating on the assumption that the Ocarina still existed – he, at the very least, had never destroyed it – and that it had been already returned to the Castle, since Princess Zelda had surely taken it with her when she escaped. But if he was wrong, he could still look somewhere else, and starting his search in Hyrule Castle was the most logical approach. Infiltrating the castle was not going to be easy, though, since he dared not use his magical abilities to fly or disguise himself – if Princess Zelda was in the Castle, and he had to assume that she was, her heightened sensibilities would immediately let her know that Ganondorf was nearby. So he would have to enter relying only on his natural skills and stealthy movement to evade any guards – an excellent exercise that would tell him whether he had become too dependant on his wizardry.

He drew the hood of the dark brown cloak he had conjured up back at the library over his head and approached the ruined outer gates, entering the castle courtyard, carefully listening into the night for any signs of life. There was nothing, and he slowly moved along the wall until he reached the inner gate, which was guarded by two weary-looking Hylian soldiers in worn-out armor. A small brazier between the two illuminated the scene and, presumably, served to keep the soldiers warm. They seemed tired and bored, as night watchmen usually were, but neither of them would allow himself to fall asleep while the other was still awake to report him, and Ganondorf decided that he could not pass them unnoticed without using either magic of violence. Frustrated, he withdrew into the shadows and gazed up the high walls of the inner courtyard. If he could climb them, he would reach the battlements and be free to enter the castle proper from there. Without hesitation he approached the next wall and moved his hands over the surface The castle was built with huge, unshapely boulders, roughly cut to rectangular shape, with enough space in between for hand- and footholds – a far cry from the chiselled marble of older castles and its perfectly symmetrical blocks. Hyrule as a whole was not doing too well, it seemed – and now who is responsible for that, he asked himself sardonically. Then he cleared his thoughts, took a deep breath, reached up for a stable handhold, and began climbing.

It was easier than he had expected, a testament to his strength and skill. There were no soldiers up on the battlements, and Ganondorf sneaked into the castle corridors. Most of them were unlit, and he met not another soul, although people might well be sleeping behind the numerous closed doors. Not knowing where the Ocarina might be, he chose to simply follow his instincts, and when he came upon a tower staircase, he decided to move up. Looking out of the window while climbing the circular stair, he realized that he was in the castle's highest tower that had somehow survived the moblins' demolition efforts, and which was as likely a place for the Ocarina to be as any. Approaching the top floor, he heard a soft voice talking and made doubly sure not to make any noise as he moved. He arrived at the torch-lit top story and found four wooden doors, two of them nailed shut, one of them latched with a bolt and a heavy lock, and the fourth door left slightly ajar, an oil lamp flickering inside. The voice came from within the room.

Seized by curiousity as well as caution, Ganondorf inched silently towards the door and peeked inside. Somehow, he was not particularly surprised when he saw Princess Zelda, sitting on a simple wooden bed, wearing her usual royal dress with full regalia, circlet, earrings and all. Right next to her sat Link, wearing his threadbare green garb including the stupid hat. The Master Sword rested in its scabbard atop his knees, and he was listening to Zelda's words with great earnestness.

"This entire situation is strange. Ganon and his monsters have not stirred for days, but I can't believe we've seen the last of him. There's something in the air, a tension... you feel it too, don't you, Link? That's why you haven't placed the Master Sword back to rest."

Link nodded silently, a grave look on his face. Of course these two would not trust his talk of peace, Ganondorf reflected, not so soon at least.

"During that night, atop the tower... I thought it would finally be over. We would fulfill our destinies and banish Ganon and then be free to live our lives... but I think I just made everything worse! Now he's out to kill the Goddesses! If he can do that... what will happen to Hyrule?"

_An excellent question_, Ganondorf thought. The Goddesses had created Hyrule, so all the myths and legends told, but were they also maintaining its stability? Would killing them upset, maybe even destroy the world? No, it couldn't be!

"I have been reading many ancient legends these days, and I don't think Hyrule would be affected, but still... I could be wrong."

Zelda rubbed her face, obviously tired.

"And even if Hyrule is not in danger... shouldn't we do something to stop him? Killing the Goddesses just wouldn't be right! I mean... they are the Goddesses!"

Needless to say, Ganondorf did not find this argument very convincing.

"But there is nothing we can do. We don't even know where he is! If he kills them, it'll all be my fault, Link. I was so proud, so full of myself – to think that I might be able to talk sense into the King of Evil, to break the endless cycle. And all I achieved was planting this mad idea in his mind!"

Link placed his hand on her shoulder, trying to comfort her.

"I know what you're going to say. That I'm responsible for what I do, and he for what he does, right?"

He nodded, and she laughed happily.

"Everything is always so simple with you, Link," she said, which made him frown. "No, I mean in a good way! Oh come on, I wouldn't make fun of you!"

Link, too, laughed, clearly not offended.

_How touching_, Ganondorf thought. _I may shed a tear._

"But I know one thing for certain," Zelda said in a more serious tone. "If Ganon goes through with this, we will both be pulled into this huge mess. It's like he said... as long as we are the Triforce Bearers, we are fated to meet again. And we will stop him if we can. But before that happens... Link, please, I know you hate him – I know you somehow remember every one of your encounters, I could tell when I saw you look at him – I must talk to him again. I know he is insane, but he spoke of peace with such conviction... maybe I can talk him out of it. Maybe I'm just naive, but if he could be redeemed... please, Link, stay your hand just long enough for me to try."

_Not a chance, dear Princess_, Ganondorf answered in his mind. _The Gods will pay for what they have done to my people. Oh, and for the record: I am not_ insane.

Link did not seem to like the idea much, either, but he finally nodded in agreement.

"Thank you, Link. I promise you, if he cannot be stopped... then I will do what I must."

She suddenly yawned loudly, in a rather un-princesslike manner.

"I'm sorry Link, it's been a long day."

Considerate of her fatigue, Link rose up from the bed and fastened the Master Sword to his belt, preparing to leave so she could get some sleep. Zelda opened her mouth as if to protest, but said nothing, probably knowing he was right. Link performed a slight bow, which she answered with a light jab to his chest.

"Hyrule bows to you, Link, not the other way round. Thanks for listening to me. Have a good night."

Link turned around and walked toward the door, and Ganondorf cursed himself for only now realizing that he would walk right past him if he did not hide immediately. The other rooms were all locked, and magic was unthinkable with Zelda in the next room – so what to do? There was a dead spot at the end of the corridor opposite to the staircase, but Link had but to turn around to look out of the window and he would see him.

The window! Without thinking – no time for that – he leaped toward the glassless opening and on to the sill, held fast on the stone and let his body drop down. There he hang on the tower's outer wall, his entire body weight dragging on his fingers. A fall would not have been lethal – not for _him_ – but he would drop right into the courtyard and the guards would sound the alarm. A turn of events he would rather avoid, so he held fast with all his strength. He felt pathetic, hiding like that, but he had built up quite a tolerance against humiliation. He waited a minute, hoping that Link would not remain in the corridor or watch Zelda undress through the keyhole, and used his lower arms to jerk himself back inside. The corridor was empty.

What had all this foolishness been about, anyway? It was not like he had learned anything worth the risk of discovery. The two were still planning to fight him, if necessary? He did not care much for that, given his oath, but he would cross that bridge when he got to it. Maybe he had been listening just for the sake of hearing them talk, two people who trusted each other and were joined by bounds of friendship such as he could never experience?

He spat out in disgust, sickened by his own feeble thoughts. Ganondorf did not need friends. He simply needed to find a way to defeat the Goddesses – that was the reason for his presence here, after all.

Ganondorf had not seen the Ocarina in Zelda's bedroom – though in truth, he had not overlooked the entire room through the small slit beween door and wall – and decided to check the barred room. Surely, Zelda would not go to the trouble of securing a room with nothing valuable inside. He picked the lock with great ease – the Hylians had not called him King of Thieves for nothing – and entered the room. It was unlit, but the torches in the corridor provided enough light to see. The room was full of items, most of them unceremoniously placed on the floor in the absence of much furniture: books, jewelry, flags, weapons, a regular treasure trove of the Royal Family. And there, lying on a chair in a corner of the room, he saw a small blue instrument. Many of the items in here radiated a magical aura, but this one's was the most powerful. Surely, it could only be the Ocarina of Time.

Ganondorf greedily picked it up – and hesitated. He did not know, after all, how to use it. And he was no good at music.

Well, how hard could it be? He was a sorcerer, a warlock; he would force this puny instrument to do his bidding. He put both hands around it, closed his eyes and thought of Hyrule Castle Town from more than two thousand years ago. Ganondorf was very old, and his memory had many gaps, usually starting right after him being defeated, but he could remember that place as though it had been yesterday. He still remembered how he had hated the town's inhabitants, prancing about without a care, provided for by the vast, fertile fields of Hyrule, and how much he wanted to see them suffer, like the Gerudo had suffered...

Suddenly, unprompted, he was engulfed by the Ocarina's power. The tower room faded around him, and everything turned white.


	5. A Link to the Past

**Chapter 5: A Link to the Past**

Somehow, Ganondorf knew that it had worked before he could even see anything. Fortunately for him, he did not materialize in the middle of Castle Town, which would have caused quite a bit of unwanted attention, but rather in one of the back alleys. He quickly looked into all directions, but there was no one who might have seen him. No longer restrained in his magic, he put up another disguise, this time on of a middle-aged Hylian man in casual clothing, put the Ocarina of Time in a shirt pocket, and walked to the main square.

It was just as he had remembered it, crowded with Hylians young and old, going about their business and generally enjoying themselves. He no longer wished them any particular ill, though; he had left _that_ obsession behind him, realizing that these people were merely accessories to the crimes committed against his people, the true guilty party being the Goddesses. That did not mean, however, that he enjoyed being here, and so he decided to do what he had come for and be on his way.

In this time period, the Royal Library was housed in one of the great castle's many wings; Ganondorf remembered that from the time he had 'paid his respects' to the king of Hyrule. The castle was the dominant landmark of the town, so he had no trouble with looking for directions, and walked along the main road towards it, ignoring the mentally-challenged man sitting on the roadside who asked him to sell him bugs. The path through the castle gardens was littered with soldiers, but a slight turn of his hand made them all look the other way, and he passed through the gate without attracting attention.

This castle was much bigger than the one in his time, and its many expansive corridors and hallways formed a veritable labyrinth. Ganondorf did not quite remember the way to the Library, and after a while he had to admit to himself that he was lost. Although he did not want to talk to these people, asking someone for directions would probably save him much time. Of course, now that he needed one of them, there was no Hylian to be found – safe for a little girl who had just now peeked at him around a corner. She realized that he had seen her and hid behind the corner for a second, then changed her mind and walked up to him. She wore a white and purple dress with the insignia of the Royal Family, and Ganondorf recognized her immediately: She was Princess Zelda, the first of her line he had ever met, and who had managed to evade his capture for seven years. Or would manage.

"I don't know your face," she said, as if accusing him. "Who are you, a new servant?"

Ganondorf could barely keep his temper at the suggestion and did not answer at all, simply staring at the young princess before him. Just a single magic spell, or even a mere blow to the skull, and this nuisance of his past self would be gone – and all of history changed in a single instant!

But no, he must not do that. Not only was lordship over Hyrule no longer his aim, but disrupting history would also mean that his current self would cease to exist, and so he would not be able to travel back and kill her in the first place! So he had to be physically unable to kill her, hard to believe as that was. For a second, he considered trying it, simply to see if it could be done. Fortunately, he got a hold of himself, and did not do it.

Zelda, of course, did not realize the mortal peril she just had escaped, and demanded again "What is your name? Answer me!"

He realized that creating a scene here might also disrupt the proper flow of history, and he certainly could not reveal himself in front of this young Zelda. So he had to come up with an answer to satisfy her, and fast.

"I am, in fact, a servant to the Royal Family," he assured her, although the words wounded his pride. "I just started work here today, and I don't know my way around yet."

"You are not wearing your livery."

"I beg your pardon, my lady, but the Majordomo told me my uniform would be finished tomorrow, and for today I should work in my normal clothes."

Zelda laughed loudly. "Yes, that sounds like him! He always fumbles the simplest tasks. My father often asks himself why he's even keeping him around."

Apparently Ganondorf's answer had hit the spot. Good.

"Well, if you're working here from now on, we should know each other's names. I'm Zelda. What's your name?"

"Why, Princess, if I had but known who you are," he feigned surprise, "I would not have been so sluggish with my answer. Forgive me." That was about as much submissiveness as he could muster; he hoped she would not ask him to bow, or it might cause an incident.

"Oh, don't worry about that," Zelda said, waving her hand dismissively. "I don't care much for protocol. I mean, you and me, we are both just people, right?"

Her words surprised Ganondorf. She remembered her father being quite the opposite, demanding that he kneel before him in a show of allegiance, which even back then had irked him to no end and strenghtened his determination to overthrow him.

"Are you sure you are your father's daughter?"

She looked at him funny.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Oh, it's nothing, Princess. Anyway, I am supposed to run an errand to the library, but I do not know the way. Would you be so kind to point me into the right direction?"

"The library? Oh that's easy, you just have to turn right over there, leave this wing, go through the courtyard and enter the long, flat building on the far left. But not too far left, or you'll end up in the kitchen."

"Thank you, Princess. I'll better be on my way, then."

"Hey, wait! You haven't told me your name yet."

He graced Zelda with a smile.

"I am Error."

"Error, hm. That's a weird name."

"I will be sure to tell my parents."

"You're funny."

"I aim to please, princess. I aim to please."

And before she could involve him in an extended conversation full of opportunities for him to give himself away, Ganondorf turned on the spot and followed the directions Zelda had given him, feeling slightly sick.

* * *

After his encounter with Zelda everything went smoothly. Ganondorf reached the library, gained entry, and found _The Forging of the Master Sword_ in its designated shelf. He had expected a huge tome, but what he actually found was only a small monograph of maybe fifty pages. It was an account written by a Hylian knight who claimed to have witnessed the creation of the sword firsthand and swore by the Goddesses that every one of his words was true.

After the Hylian armies, sent out to destroy the renegade prince, fell before the power of the Gods that he wielded, the royal sages sought for other ways to contain the threat posed by the Triforce Bearer. An obscure legend, never committed to writing and known only to some very old townsfolk, spoke of a man reverently called "The Master Smith" who supposedly was as old as the world and had the ability to forge the most powerful weapons known to man. The sages put little trust in the veracity of this legend, especially since most of the people who recounted it had lost the better part of their wits due to old age, but in their desperation, they were willing to consider even the most outlandish possibilities to save Hyrule. They sent out a single Hylian knight – the very author of the book – to find this Master Smith and request his aid. The knight travelled far beyond the borders of Hyrule, following the vague clues the legend offered in regards to his whereabouts. After a long and arduous journey, wrought with dangers and involving the slaying of all kinds of foul creatures, the knight at last found the Master Smith and told him of the dire straits his people were in. His plea convinced the smith to lend his aid, and with his legendary skills he crafted a glowing sword imbued with most powerful magic, and he named it the Master Sword, and pronounced it capable of piercing the power of the Gods. The knight thanked him in the name of his people and hurried back to Hyrule as fast as his horse would carry him. Upon his return, the knight wielded the Master Sword himself against the evil prince and struck him down, but in his modesty requested that his name be not recorded in the annals of history. The Master Sword was locked away in a temple, only to be used again under the most dire of circumstances, and the sages sent a caravan bearing gold and gems and other treasures to the home of the Master Smith to express their gratitude.

_A most promising story_, Ganondorf thought. If this Master Smith was truly "as old as the world," he might still be alive today, and might be convinced to forge another weapon like the Master Sword for him, except without wards against 'Evil Ones'. The hints regarding his location were indeed vague and it would require intelligence and patience to find the Master Smith based only on them. Of course, Ganondorf had both of these things in spades, so he was not worried. Besides, this was the only lead he had, so he had little choice but to follow it.

Making sure no one was watching him, for not even the King of Evil wished to incur the wrath of a librarian defending his books, he ripped out the pages describing the way to the Master Smith's hut, rolled them into a scroll and put it into his pocket, where the Ocarina of Time still rested. After all, the book would soon be lost to his monsters, anyway, so he might as well get the most out of it. Now all he had to do before seeking out the Master Smith was to return to his own time. He judged it unwise to fumble around with the Ocarina anywhere near the castle, so he left the library in order to return to the back alley where he had first found himself after his time leap. He almost slipped up on his way out, coming far too close to one of the guards, and hastily took a different path out of the castle gardens, his head turned over his shoulders to make sure the guard had not seen him and was giving pursuit

Because of this, he did not see the man who just now was entering the castle grounds until it was too late and the two of them collided, sending the man to the ground; Ganondorf managed to barely keep his balance.

"Can't you watch where you're going," he spat angrily without so much as looking at the man, continuing on his way. But he did not get very far.

"Not so fast," said a voice that was as familiar as it was furious, and a powerful hand grabbed him by his collar. "You will show the proper respect!"

Ganondorf turned around, ready to teach that fool a thing or two about respect – and froze in utter surprise as he looked into a mirror.

"You are... me... you..."

"At least you recognize me, Hylian dog," said Ganondorf – the other Ganondorf. "So why are you not on your knees, paying respect to an allied king?"

And then he understood. It was obvious, now that he thought about it. The man with the dark skin and the red hair, who looked so much like himself, _was_ himself, except that he was two thousand years younger and had just arrived in Castle Town in order to visit the King of Hyrule – and to kill him soon after that.

And now, he remembered – another memory from this fateful day, one he had not recalled in a long time due to its relative insignificance. Back then, on his way to the audience with the king, an impudent Hylian had run into him in the castle gardens and sent him to the ground and into a rage. That man had been himself – that man was himself, right here, right now.

And in order to preserve history, and himself, Ganondorf had to do exactly what he remembered that Hylian doing. And that was not going to be easy.

"Please, forgive me, my lord," he said with his teeth clenched, "I did not recognize you."

"Ha, liar! Everyone knows what the Gerudo look like, and that there is only one male among them! Of course you recognized me, and ran into me deliberately! You thought you could have your fun with the filthy King of Thieves from the desert, isn't that right?"

He had been rather paranoid in his younger days, Ganondorf reflected, as his younger self shook him by his collar. "You will apologize, Hylian scum! And you will do so on your knees!" He threw him into the dirt, and Ganondorf had to let it happen, had to suppress the enormous urge to teach this young fool a lesson he would never forget. But he had not done it, and therefore he could not do it. So he swallowed what was left of his pride, got up and sank to his knees.

"I humbly ask for your forgiveness, Lord Ganondorf."

"Make that _beg_."

_Why, you little..._

"I humbly beg for your forgiveness, Lord Ganondorf. I meant no insult. I was deep in thoughts and did not pay attention to my surroundings."

The young Ganondorf smiled evilly. "You are good at grovelling, dog. A skill all Hylians may have to learn in the near future. Very well. You may go unharmed, but you'd best not show your bland face to me again."

Ganondorf got up, looked upon his younger self feigning fear while suppressing his anger, and ran out of the royal gardens before he did something he would regret. He half expected to run into a young boy in green clothes as he reached Castle Town, and vowed to be back in his own time before that happened.

_At least I only had to kneel before myself_, he thought sourly._ He will have to kneel before the King of Hyrule in a few minutes._

He ventured into the back alley, almost stumbling over one of the many small and annoying dogs running wild there, and found the spot at which he had arrived. He pulled the Ocarina of Time out of his pocket, dropped his magical disguise and focused his thoughts on the tower room from where he had come. Nothing happened, to his frustration. The thought of being stuck in this time period while not being allowed to alter any event was not a pleasant one, and he tried harder, picturing the room in his mind, but to no avail.

He tried to remember how he had performed his first time leap. He had envisioned Castle Town and its inhabitants... and become furious. Maybe that was the key? If so, it would be easy – he simply remembered the arrogant look of his younger self as he had knelt before him and the smug smile he had so desperately wanted to wipe of his face...

The back alley faded away, and the familiar whiteness surrounded him. A moment later, he was back in the tower room full of items belonging to the Royal Family. Satisfied, he placed the Ocarina of Time back on the chair where he had found it, made sure the pages from _The Forging of the Master Sword_ were still in his pocket, and left the room, resetting the heavy lock so that no one would be able to tell he had been in there. The door to Zelda's bedroom was still closed, and judging from the silence she was sleeping soundly.

Ganondorf did not feel like climbing down the castle tower and making his way back all the way outside of town where he could safely spirit himself away, so he simply cast the teleportation spell that would bring him back to his temple in the Dark Realm. Zelda would probably wake up from the magical emanations, or at least have a nightmare about tendrils of solid black smoke engulfing her, but by then, he would be far away in his sanctum. As the tower corridor faded out of his sight, Ganondorf had already begun making plans for his coming journey to the home of the Master Smith.


	6. Heart of Rage

**Chapter 6: Heart of Rage**

In his long and battle-filled life, Ganondorf had encountered few enemies with the perseverance of the insects that were vexing him. No matter how many of them he let burst into flames with a mere gesture, falling to the ground glowing like literal fireflies, there were always more, and they just kept coming, not discouraged by their comrades falling by the thousands before the King of Evil. And they had not been without success: Many of the more daring mosquitoes had actually reached his skin, sucking a small quantity of blood out of him before being swatted to death or, in the case of a few lucky ones, escaping with alive with their hard-earned spoils. He had itches all over his face and his bare lower arms and legs, and he high temperature and humidity made him sweat worse than Gerudo desert had back during his youth.

Ganondorf decided that he hated this jungle.

But unfortunately, the description of the Hylian knight who had travelled to the Master Smith two and a half millennia ago was quite adamant that the man's hideout was located somewhere in this enormous, unnamed mass of leaves and branches and blasted mosquitoes. To Ganondorf's infinite irritation, though, it was not very precise as to where exactly it could be found, forcing him to comb through the entire jungle in the vain hope of finding the man, or at least a trace of him. He had been searching for a week, hunting the local animal species for food, many of whom he had never seen before, and drinking the lukewarm water of the many small and large rivers. It had taken him two weeks before that to reach this jungle, travelling along the ancient knight's route, leaving Hyrule behind and passing through several other kingdoms on his way. He had not cared much for interaction with the natives, who in turn had eyed the tall, muscular stranger with habitual distrust, but never with fear or dread. Apparently, his notoriety was limited to the lands of Hyrule, Ganondorf had surmised, and though it was of course a good thing not to attract attention, his pride was injured slightly by the fact that nobody seemed to know about him.

He had just incinerated yet another swarm of mosquitoes, muttering a curse into his beard, when suddenly a familiar sound pierced the jungle: The voice of a man screaming for his life. Without hesitation, Ganondorf run toward the source of the screaming, determined to – to do what, exactly? Save the man from whatever danger that had befallen him, assuming he was not too late? He was the King of Evil; he did not save people! But somehow, that line of reasoning sounded rather stupid even to himself. If he wanted to save someone, that was what he would do, unrestricted by his past perception of himself. And the imperiled man wasn't likely to recognize him, anyway.

He hacked and slashed his way through the branches and tree-trunks blocking his path, not daring to simply blast them away with a ball of magic energy, as he might have hit and killed the man he planned to save, which would have defeated the purpose of the whole exercise. The screams became louder as he approached, and they began to Ganondorf to sound more like curses than pleas. He could only tell by the inflection of the voice, since he did not know the language the man was using.

Finally, he reached a small clearing and saw the man to whom the voice belonged: At first, Ganondorf did not even think him a man, but a child, since he was barely as tall as his legs were long, until he noticed the man's beard and realized that he was some kind of midget or dwarf. He was holding a short walking stick with both hands, using it to fend of the attacks of an oversized striped cat. The cat's reach was longer than his, though, and the dwarf was hard pressed to defend himself. The words he shouted at the cat were definitely not cries for help, but clearly invectives of some sort, trying to scare away the beast or simply to take out his anger on it.

Blurting out a challenging shout to the feline predator, Ganondorf burst out onto the clearing, clearly taking both combatants by surprise, as they briefly froze in mid-fight. Then the cat, wisely considering him a bigger threat than the small man, jumped at him with its claws extended. Ganondorf laughed, truly glad about this diversion, and dropped the sword he had been using to cut through the thicket; he would use this dumb beast to vent the last week's frustration on. He dodged his claws handily and proceeded to beat it into submission, until its sense of self-preservation took over and it turned tail and fled into the jungle. The small old man, who had been cheering for Ganondorf during the rather one-sided brawl, walked up to him and began talking again in his foreign language. Ganondorf spoke an incantation that allowed him to understand the man and talk to him as if using his own language – a very convenient spell for sure.

"... must thank you, son, for saving my hide here, that tiger nearly got me. I'm afraid I'm just not as young as I used to be. Back when I was your age, mark my words, I would have given that stupid beast a beating, I tell you!"

Ganondorf very much doubted that the dwarf was older than him, but he did not bother saying anything, and his flow of words continued unabated.

"That particular beastie has been prowling me for some time now. I've seen him from the windows of my hut, but! He didn't dare approach – his kind don't care much for fire, you see, and I always keep a torch around! Should have taken one with me today, but that's how it is with age – it makes your forget things. I don't even remember what I was doing here, can you believe it? But enough about me, son – who are you and what brings you into my jungle? I mean, it's not my jungle of course, but I haven't seen another living soul here for quite some time."

Foregoing secrecy for simplicity's sake – not like the old man would pose a threat – he answered: "My name is Ganondorf, and I am here to seek out a man named the Master Smith."

"I don't know anything about a smith around here," the dwarf told him. "I used to be called Dolvin. I mean, I would still be called Dolvin, except that there's nobody around to call me anything."

His eyes wandered up and down the length of Ganondorf's body, critically inspecting him.

"You look like you've been sleeping on the ground for weeks, son. You probably have. I'm sure you're in a hurry – young people always are – but would you care to spend a night in a proper bed? A separate bed from mine, of course," he added hastily, "the one I keep for guests. And you would be the first guest since... well, in a pretty long time."

Having grown up in a hostile desert and spent most of his waking life fighting someone or something, Ganondorf was not someone to care much about creature comforts, but he felt like indulging the small man. He found him amusing, and was also slightly curious about him. What would drive a defenseless old coot like him to make his home in such a hostile environment? Of course there was a good chance Dolvin could not even remember the reason, age chewing away at his mental faculties as it obviously had. He felt a sudden gratitude for the immortality the Triforce of Power had granted him, his middle-aged body never aging beyond a certain point.

"I accept your invitation, Dolvin. Lead the way."

"I'll guarantee you won't be disappointed," the dwarf said merrily, moving into the jungle at a faster pace than Ganondorf had anticipated. "At my humble abode, I mean. It's not very big or anything, but quite homely and comfortable. Where did you hail from again, Ganondorf, my boy?"

Strangely enough, Ganondorf found that he did not object to Dolvin's undue familiarity. Maybe it was because he had never actually talked to an old man, since the Gerudo tribe had consisted only of women. His father had been a Hylian whom his mother had met only once, and whose name she had not known or cared to know, and Ganondorf himself had never met him.

"A land called Hyrule, far to the south."

"Hm, Hyrule you say? Nope, doesn't ring a bell. But, you know, I really don't travel much at my age. So what's it like, this Hyrule? Not many jungles, I'd wager?"

"It's largely plains and woods. Not at all like _this_"

"I can hear you don't like my jungle. I am insulted!" The dwarf winked. "Nah, not really. I didn't like it here at first, either. But I got used to it."

"Why did you come here?" Ganondorf asked.

"Well, I don't remember clearly – you knew I was going to say that, didn't you? Don't deny it! I can read you like a book!"

Ganondorf had never been much for hiding his true feelings or opinions about anything – after all, who would dare berate him for it – so the old man's words did not come as a surprise to him.

"Anyway, I think my home country was destroyed by war or some sort of disaster, and so I became a fugitive."

"But why not live in a town with other people? Why here?"

The dwarf looked into the distance, his voice becoming somewhat sad.

"I think... I think I just wanted to be alone. When my home was destroyed, and there was nothing I could do to stop it, I just wanted to lock myself away from the world. Does that make sense to you, son?"

Not overly much. When his home had been destroyed, or rather depopulated, he had immediately sought out the ones he thought responsible in order to make them pay. Simply going into exile, doing nothing at all about the injustice visited upon his people, would have been unacceptable. But of course Ganondorf was Ganondorf, powerful beyond words (though not nearly powerful enough, as he had recently been taught), and Dolvin was merely a frail old man, so he could not blame him for not seeking revenge. At any rate, as long as he managed not to get eaten by predators, he seemed happy enough.

_Happiness_, he thought, his thoughts once again turning toward sentimentality, as they did with an unnerving frequency these days. _Once I've vanquished the Goddesses, will I be happy? But what does that word even mean? And what will I do afterwards? I have no people to rule over safe monsters._

No matter how things turned out, Ganondorf could not possibly imagine something like retiring into obscurity, silently living out his days. That might be good for Dolvin, but not for a man of action like himself.

"You look troubled, son. Did I say something to bother you?"

"Ha! Nothing much can bother me, old man, least of all mere words. Don't you dare watch your tongue around me."

"Alright lad, that's the spirit! I don't want you to be moping when we reach my house – I think I even have some heavy things to move around that you might help me with."

Oddly enough, the suggestion that he do some menial work for the dwarf did not bother Ganondorf at all. In fact, he was looking forward to it.

"Do your worst, Dolvin. I can take anything you care to throw at me."

"Oh really? I'll make you eat those words, son!"

The old man laughed, and Ganondorf could not help but join in. Together, they marched on through the jungle, the old man easily matching his pace, and he found that he did not hate it nearly as much as fifteen minutes ago.

* * *

They arrived at Dolvin's hut after about an hour of walking, and Ganondorf idly wondered what exactly the dwarf had been doing so far out there in the jungle. The hut itself was not as small as he had expected it; it consisted of a sizable living room with a table, two chairs and a fireplace, and two smaller rooms with a bed in each one. Behind the hut there was a number of fenced-in seedbeds where Dolvin grew several types of vegetables, and even a proper outhouse. The hut – not, it deserved to be called a house – was constructed from huge logs, perfectly cut into shape, and had been painted with tar, presumably to keep the lumber from rotting in the damp jungle air. Everything down to the furniture had been crafted with great care, and Ganondorf was indeed impressed.

"Who built this?" he asked, for the old man could never have done it himself, and the size and number of rooms indicated that it had been designed for two inhabitants.

"Why, me, of course. Though I think I had some help. I think."

Ganondorf shook his head in disbelief. He did not accept Dolvin's claims, but saw no reason to press the whimsical old man on this. Given the state of his memory, he might even be genuinely believing that he spoke the truth.

"You spoke about some heavy lifting?"

"Ah yes, of course. So unlike youth, to actively seek out work!" The dwarf led Ganondorf behind the house and to his seedbeds. "Look at this mess," he said, and pointed toward a big tree that had fallen across the bed, burying most of its harvest beneath it. "There was a pretty bad storm last month – of course my hut withstood it easily – but this stupid tree just had to fall on my radishes! I can't move it by myself... I had planned to cut it into small pieces and carry them of separately, but now that I've found a strong lad like you, it should go much faster. I have an axe over there. Would you do me the favour and hack it apart? I really like radishes, you know."

In an almost childlike urge to impress the old man, Ganondorf walked next to the tree trunk. He could have easily thrown it into the air using magic, but that would have been like cheating. So instead he flexed his muscles, firmly planted his feet in the soil, put his hands below the tree, and lifted it up.

"Ho there, boy, don't you want to cut it up first... well, I'll be damned! You're a strong one, lad!"

Ganondorf lifted the tree over his head, walked toward the edge of the jungle, and threw it crashing into the thicket. It had not been an easy task – his physical strength was above that of a human, but still limited – and he felt stronger for having accomplished it. As he returned to the old man, his gaze fell upon a most interesting sight – a large anvil resting behind the house, and a massive hammer and a pair of tongs lying next to it, a slack tub completing the small smithy. Ganondorf had not forgotten the purpose of his journey, although the jolly dwarf had certainly managed to distract him. He could not believe that there were many forges like this in the jungle. Could it be that the old man was... no! In the book, the knight had described the Master Smith as a tall man, taller than himself, and as strong and muscular as befitted a blacksmith.

Then he recalled his thoughts from a few minutes ago – how somebody else must have built this house, somebody with great strength and ability...

He should have realized it earlier. This _was_ the Master Smith's home – but its owner was no longer here. Maybe he had gone away. Maybe he had died. But he was not here.

Fury arose within Ganondorf. How could he have placed this much hope in an old legend? How could be seriously have believed that this man, if he was even still alive, could be found in the same place, two thousand years later? Ridiculous! His wishful thinking had sent him on a fool's errand, and he felt like an idiot.

His anger demanded release. He felt a buildup of magical energy in his right fist, and a green glow surrounded it. He sank to his knees and hit the ground with all his might, shaking the earth and sending a wave of soil flying into all directions.

"What is it, lad? What are you -"

He hit the ground again, and again, until the pain in his fist forced him to think clearly once more. Not all was lost, he told himself, tried to convince himself. After all, this forge proved that the Master Smith is not a myth! There might be clues in the house in regards to where he went...

"Ganondorf, my boy, are you all right?" Dolvin had come to his side, and he did not seem surprised about his sudden outburst of magical fury as much as concerned about him. "Here, let me see your hand... oh! What is this?"

As always when Ganondorf performed strong magic, the Triforce mark on his right hand shone brightly, three golden triangles, one of them brighter than the others, symbolizing the aspect of power. Dolvin's gaze was transfixed on this mark, staring at it with the intensity a man might look upon his lover – or rather his mortal foe, for his face had become a grimace twisted by hatred. Ganondorf forgot his anger, startled at the old man's sudden change of disposition.

"Are _you_ all right?" he asked. But when Dolvin answered, he spoke not to his guest, but to himself.

"I know this thing – I know! I saw it! With my own eyes! When they came over my world and – no, the memories! They are all – they are all coming back! Oh no, no, no!" The dwarf struck at the ground in anguish and fury, without the magical impact like Ganondorf before him, but hist fist clenched every bit as hard.

"It seems like only yesterday – oh Karvin! Kaila! Where have you gone? Who did – who has..." Tears were running over his small face. "Yes! You! I remember you! I remember what you have _done!_ How could I... how could I have forgotten! How could I have been so weak!"

He went on for a while, crying, shouting. Ganondorf did not interrupt him. He could make no sense from the small man's unconnected half-sentences, but he recognized the emotion behind them, the incredible rage burning his way out of his heart to the surface. He had felt it himself often enough.

Finally, Dolvin regained his composure, not bothering to wipe away his tears to hide his weakness. He rose to his feet, suddenly standing so much taller in spite of being as small as before, and looked into Ganondorf's eyes. The happy, careless little man had vanished, and an effigy of hatred had assumed his place.

"I believe I owe you an explanation, lad. Many of the things I told you were not true, though at the time, I did not know that. First things first, though. I told you my name was Dolvin, and that much was true. But I have entered the realm of legend under another name. I am the Master Smith."


	7. The Master Smith's Champion

**Chapter 7: The Master Smith's Champion**

"Let's have a seat, lad," Dolvin pointed at the bench in front of his house, and the two men sat down. "It's going to be a long story, and I am not as young as I used to be. I quit counting the exact number of years after my 400th birthday, but I have about ten times that many years now."

Ganondorf found that number unbelievable. Sure, assuming Dolvin spoke the truth about being the Master Smith – and for some reason, he believed him – he had to be more than two thousand years old. But four thousand? There was a little problem with that number...

"According to the Hylian historians," he pointed out a fact he had learned from his teachers way back in his youth, "the Goddesses created this world only about 3200 years ago, give or take a century. All credible sources agree on this, and there is no evidence that our world is older."

"Your 'Goddesses' created nothing!" His rage that had cooled off a little suddenly burned hot again. "They built this precious world of yours out of the debris of the one that preceded it, the one that they smashed to pieces!" He forced himself to calm down. "But I'm getting ahead of myself. If you have to interrupt, try not to upset me."

So Dolvin, too, bore some sort of grudge against the Goddesses? This story of his might be very interesting, and Ganondorf nodded so he would continue.

"When I was born, the world you know and the land of Hyrule did not exist yet, safe perhaps as an idea in the Archfiends' twisted minds. There was another world in its place – a rough world, made of jagged rocks and with oceans of lava, poisonous plants and savage beasts everywhere. It was a harsh world to live in, but it was _our_ world. We did not have a name for it, nor a name for ourselves, as we didn't need them. Only much later, we came to call ourselves the Old People.

We were a long-lived people, which was a good thing since children were born only rarely. I was the son of one of our elders – I suppose you would call him a king, although the word did not mean to us what it means to you – and when he was killed in an earthquake, succeeded him. I tried to guide my people as best as I could, and my wife Kaila blessed me with a son whom we named Karvin. It was a hard, but good life – good enough for us. Until the day the Archfiends came to our world."

He paused for a moment, probably reliving the memory of that day. Ganondorf could tell that it was not pleasant.

"They came from the sky one night, tall and haughty, trails of coloured fire blazing in their wake. They demanded to see our king, and since I was the next best thing, they were brought before me. They told me that our world was chaotic and imperfect, and that they could re-create it, shape into something more ‚beautiful'. What does that word even mean? I don't know even today. They were arrogant and tyrannical, expecting us to welcome their plans to transform our world, and – here came the best part – worship them as Gods.

I bid them explain the concept to me, for the Old People did not know any gods. They laughed at us, thinking us uncivilized savages. And they explained. We were to prostrate ourselves before them and call them wise and mighty and beautiful, and erect monuments to their glory in the newly shaped world. They promised they would have us lead our lives as we saw fit, as long as we did that. They promised us something we already had, and demanded we demean ourselves! Needless to say, I told them to get out of my eyes, and I believe I spoke for all of my people. We had no need for kings, and we certainly had no need for gods. The Archfiends left, infuriated, and told us we would regret our decision. As the sun dawned on the horizon, they rose back into the skies whence they had come. It was the last sunrise our world would see.

They decided amongst themselves to go through with their mad project with or without our consent. They attacked our world, the very soil, using their fearsome powers, and great quakes shook the world. Naturally, the Old People fought back, but our numbers were small, and we were not a warlike people. It was a testament to the quality of our enchanted weapons and our magic spells that we even managed to wound them, but we were nor prepared for such a deadly conflict. The war lasted only one terribly long day, and as the sun set over the scattered corpses of my people, it also set on our world. The survivors could do nothing but watch as the Archfiends put their loathsome plans into action."

Ganondorf had listened with rapt attention to the old man's terrible tale, and he had told him enough so that he could put two and two together.

"And so they formed this world and the land now known as Hyrule," he prompted. "Their names were Din, Nayru and Farore, and they were to become known as the Golden Goddesses, and the people worship their names even today."

"So you know about them."

"Know about them? I hate them! Their act of creation has brought only ruin for my people, so that it had been better if they had never been created at all! I have declared war on them, and I intend to destroy them completely. That is why I came to you, because I hoped you could make for me a weapon to destroy them with. Although, now that I've heard your tale... maybe I am a fool. If they defeated all of your people, then how could I alone ever have a prayer against them?"

Dolvin studied Ganondorf for a while, perhaps taking his measure. Then he spoke again.

"Now I know why I ventured out into the jungle this day – I somehow sensed your intent, without knowing it, and came to meet you! There is much I can offer you for your coming battles, son, most precious of all, hope. But let me finish the rest of my sad tale first."

Ganondorf nodded, and so Dolvin continued.

"The Archfiends shattered the lands and tore our world into pieces, and, as you said, shaped around the remains this new world they so desired. Most of us who survived the fighting fell victim to this cataclysm. I watched my wife and son perish before my eyes, but somehow, I was spared, although the terrible tremors of the earth made me lose consciousness.

The Old People were linked closely to the earth, and even now, although it was painfully ripped apart, I feel the structure of this world as I feel my own flesh. When I awakened, I knew that somehow I had not ended up in the new world, but in a strange realm between it and the Celestial Realm. And I saw the Archfiends standing there near me, their bloody work finished, their faces glee with joy as they oversaw their ‚creation'. I tried to throw myself at them, if only to purchase a good death, as I had no desire to live in this new world. But they defeated me handily, and in their arrogance chose to spare my life. They told me all about their new world and the creatures they had seeded on it, filled with pride like mothers, but with the blood of my people and our world on their hands. I was then told that they would leave a small part of their powers behind in this world, as eternal reminder of their glory, and I saw it there, hovering over the ground of this strangely unreal realm." He looked at Ganondorf's right hand, although the mark was currently not visible. „But of course you know about this. You have been there. You have claimed that power for yourself."

"Yes, part of it. But why didn't you?"

"Ha! The Archfiends are vile monsters, but they are not stupid. They had cast a spell on me that immobilized me, and as they departed for the sky, that magic seized my body and threw it out of this realm that they called ‚Sacred' and onto Hyrule. Dawn came for this new world, and the sun rose over its green fields, and has risen countless times since then. But that dawn was not for the Old People, and in our minds we have dwelt since then in an endless night."

"More of your kind survived?"

"Yes, maybe a thousand all in all, although the cataclysm had spread them all over the world. I still had a responsibility toward them and sought them out, one after another, which took me centuries. But in truth, there was nothing I could do for them except tell them to eke out a semblance of life on this world, and so they did. They remained were they were, blending in as best as they could, lending the new people – who, after all, did not deserve scorn for the actions of their creators – a hand when it came to working metal and stone, something they always had a special talent for, and the Hylians and other peoples appreciated their help, bringing the tiniest sparks of happiness into their wretched lives.

But we were bound to our world, and we could not live without it. As time went on, we grew weak in strength, both physical and magical, and small in size, no more the tall and proud people we had once been. The Hylians came to call us ‚dwarves'. As the centuries passed, we slowly died, one after another, and as though cursed by the Archfiends, no new children were born to us. I know not how many are left, but I fear we have become few. I may even be the last, although I dread that thought and try to push it away whenever it seizes me.

After half a millennium of wandering, my brother Torkas, who had accompanied me at all times, and I settled here, in this jungle, for a small portion of the soil of our world remains intact here, and built this hut. During this time caravans were still passing through the jungle between the surrounding cities, and on occasion, we would craft a weapon or a piece of jewelry for them – Torkas was a goldsmith, I am a blacksmith. We knew our craft well, and what we forged was of the best quality, often imbued with what magical powers we retained. Over time, I acquired a reputation as the ‚Master Smith', and on one fateful day, a young knight of Hyrule came to our house and asked for my aid. He requested a weapon that could stand against the power of the Archfiends, now self-styled Goddesses, although he did not know about their origin, and we did not tell him. He did not wish to fight the Archfiends themselves, but merely the power they had left in the Sacred Realm, the Triforce. But we helped him nonetheless. Perhaps we thought that as long as a weapon that could strike down the Archfiends existed out there, someone might someday put it to its proper use. You see, age and weakness were gripping us as well, and frailty prevented either of us to properly wield a weapon again. In this patch of earth around us, there were still some small quantities of ore from the old world, ore that exhibited magical properties harmful to the Archfiends. So I took a good part of the remaining supply and crafted a fine sword for him. It bears the sign of the Triforce, not to show allegiance, but to show against whom it ought to be wielded. In reference to my 'title', the knight named it the Master Sword."

"Well, let me commend you for your work," Ganondorf said sourly, remembering the many times that wretched blade hat cut his flesh. "It has not lost its edge over the centuries, I assure you."

"So you and the Master Sword have a history, then? I take it you are unable to use it? That would explain why you are here."

"The sages of Hyrule cast numerous powerful enchantments on the blade," Ganondorf recounted from _The Forging of the Master Sword_, "all of them designed to repel evil. Suffice it to say, they considered me evil, and I so cannot touch it."

"A pity. Regardless, I gave the sword to the knight, and in addition, my brother crafted a pair of earrings for him to take to Hyrule, made from the same ore and enchanted to enhance the user's magical power to pierce the armor of the Archfiends; as a bonus, if you will. The knight accepted our gifts with sincere gratitude and departed to save his land, and later we learned, from the caravan that carried our reward in gold and silver that he had vanquished his foe – that wasn't you, was it?"

"No, I'm not _quite_ that old."

"Anyway, he had defeated a Triforce Bearer, proving that our weapons were as powerful as we had hoped. But in the centuries following that day, nothing happened. No champion came forth and used it, or the earrings, to strike against the Archfiends, and since we could not do it ourselves, we slowly lost hope. My brother died a thousand years ago, and I... well, just look at me. Not enough that my body failed me! Far worse than that, the memories of my past slowly trickled away, until I had forgotten everything but my own name. I dwelt in this jungle for centuries, meeting no one for a long time, until today. Until you came, Ganondorf, who would aid me with my vengeance against the Archfiends. For that is why you are here, are you not?"

"Yes. If you are still able, and still have some of your magical ore left..."

"I am, and I have."

"... then I would ask you to forge for me a sword that equals, no, surpasses the Master Sword in power, so that I can use it to strike down against the three who are our shared enemies."

In truth, he considered Dolvin and himself kindred spirits. Both of them had been kings – sort of, in Dolvin's case – and both of them had lost every last one of their people to the madness of the Goddesses whom the dwarf rightly called Archfiends. But there was still one open question...

"I would not question the quality of your handiwork, Dolvin..."

"And don't you dare," he said, for a moment relapsing to his former whimsical self, "because I have a walking stick, and I'm not afraid to use it!"

He humoured the old man with a short laugh.

"But I still wonder whether your sword and my power alone will be enough. I fought on of the three before, and the results were... not encouraging. And now that I know how the three of them alone defeated your entire race... my confidence is not what it used to be."

"Ha! And there I thought gloominess was the privilege of old age, and the young were supposed to be bold and impetuous. Where is your fighting spirit, lad? I have seen the Archfiends bleed with my own eyes, and I personally guarantee you that everything that is alive can die. You said you fought one of them before? Well, I can see you sitting here, which means you survived!"

"She spared me -"

"That's not the point, my boy. The point is, she didn't kill you, and what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Yes, I know that's a stale saying. Want another? When the knight of Hyrule left me with the Master Sword to fight the evil prince, I asked him if he believed he had a chance. He smiled and said, and I'm quoting literally here‚ 'we will win because we must'. You see? It's that simple."

"Is it really?"

Dolvin shook his head in mock despair.

"Look here, son, I do not plan on giving you a long-winded motivational speech. So just accept this short lesson about how life works, from a man who is a couple of centuries older than you: A sword can give you power. A book can give you wisdom. But the only one who can give you courage is yourself." He rolled his eyes. "I can't believe I just said that."

The only one who can give you courage, Ganondorf repeated in his mind. Courage...

The words made him remember Link – the long chain of Links, the multitude of boys and young men in green clothing, smaller than him, younger than him, weaker than him, who had taken him on the against all odds and presumably against their better judgement. Where had they taken their courage from? From the Triforce? No. Half of them had not even had it. Maybe it was because they had not fought merely for themselves, but for others: their friends, their neighbours, their people? No! He, too, was fighting for his people!

_But they are all dead_, he thought bitterly, _and all the vengeance in the world cannot bring them back. So who should I be fighting for? This droll little man?_

_Well, why not?_

Ganondorf got up from the bench and straightened himself out, banishing, no, crushing all self-doubt and uncertainty. He would fight the Gods, and he would kill the Gods, and he would do it for this man who had suffered worse at their hand than he had, who had lost his world as well as his people.

"I apologize for bothering you with this drivel about my lack of confidence, Dolvin. I will not speak of it again. All I will say is that I am ready to fight, no matter the outcome. Start forging your sword, and make it as good as you possibly can."

Dolvin got up as well, visibly pleased with Ganondorf's change of attitude.

"That's the spirit, son! But don't expect me to do all the work! I need wood to make charcoal, and lots of it, or else the fire won't be hot enough. And water for the slack tub, to cool the metal. And where did I put the last of my enchanted ore? I didn't lose it, I'm sure, it's priceless after all! Come on, lad, get busy! We haven't got all day! I mean, of course we do, but you know what we blacksmiths say, you have to strike the iron while it's hot."

"I couldn't agree more," Ganondorf answered, grabbed an axe and made for the nearest tree.

* * *

It had been noon when the two of them had begun their work, and although they worked as fast as they could within the limits of proper diligence, it was almost sunset when Dolvin removed his creation from the slack tub, the metal no longer red-hot. It was both longer and wider than the Master Sword, Ganondorf noted, as it had been tailor-made for his powerful and long arms. Its color was black with several red ornamental lines (asked whether these were really necessary, Dolvin had said that it was a master artisan's privilege to consider aesthetics in addition to functionality, and besides, he thought it looked more fear-inspiring that way), and a Triforce Mark was engraved just above the hilt, keeping in tradition with the Master Sword.

"Take it," the dwarf said, "and try it out."

Ganondorf was almost giddy with anticipation as he took the sword from Dolvin's hands and tested it's weight. It was heavy, even for him, but that was fine; after all, it was designed to be wielded with both hands. After putting a safe distance between himself and Dolvin, as well as anything else that might get in his way, he tried some practice swings and thrusts, and was very pleased with the results: The sword was exquisitely balanced, and after a minute or two, he felt like he had been using it for ages.

"It's perfect!" he exclaimed, and Dolvin allowed himself a smug smile.

"They don't call me the Master Smith for nothing. You know, I've had the specifications in my head for a long time, I just never found a lad tall and strong enough to use it. Just make sure not to break it or anything, because I have just officially run out of ore from the old world. Which would be a reason for some sentimentality if you weren't exuding such a positive atmosphere."

"You're damn right I'm positive. With this, I feel like I could take on the three all at once!"

Ganondorf paused for a moment. "Except that I have to get to them first. And I dont think shouting up to the sky and waiting for them to come down is going to work a second time."

"Then let me impart some of my wisdom on you, son," Dolvin offered generously.

"When the Archfiends destroyed the old world to create their own, they split the world in three Realms: The Terrestrial Realm down on the earth, the Celestial Realm up in the sky, and the Sacred Realm in between. When they left the Sacred Realm for the Celestial Realm after finishing their ‚creation', they left a connection between the Sacred and the Celestial Realm behind in the sky. You can't just fly through it – if you could fly, I mean..."

"It just so happens that I can."

"Oh boy. You never cease to amaze me. Either way, it's not really a hole that allows you to simply fly into the Celestial realm, as it is not really located ‚above' the other Realms in any meaningful sense. Think of it more as a portal that allows you to traverse the void between the Realms. Unfortunately, I saw them close off the portal behind them before I was spirited away to Hyrule by their spell, so you first have to force it open."

"That should be doable. I am pretty good with portals."

"How nice. But you have to get into the Sacred Realm first."

"I just so happen to live there."

"Now you're kidding me."

"Never."

"And you thought it was going to be difficult?"

Ganondorf laughed.

"Can you tell me anything about what will await me in the Celestial Realm? Besides the three, I mean."

"The Archfiends have the ability to shape matter into any form they want. They could raise a host of fearsome warriors out of the ground in an instant, so you shouldn't go alone if you can help it. Also be wary of deception. They can assume any shape they wish, although they can't stand not being 'beautiful', so if someone ugly asks you to trust him, it's probably safe. That's about all I can think of."

"You have my thanks," Ganondorf said. "For the advice as well as the... the sword. Which still needs a name!"

"Ah, of course, how could we forget this! A soon-to-be legendary sword needs a proper name."

The dwarf began pacing in circles. "I'm loath to say that I'm not very creative, though. It was the Hylian knight who came up with the name 'Master Sword'. So maybe you could think of something?"

Ganondorf needed not think long. Since he would be the old man's champion, fighting a battle that he could no longer fight, the sword should be named accordingly.

"I name it the 'Champion's Sword'," he said.

"Splendid," said Dolvin and made a little jump.

"Then I will depart at once," Ganondorf said solemnly, and added with a smirk, "You have to strike the iron while it's hot. I'll let you know as soon as I have succeeded."

"Now don't be silly, son, I'm not without magic abilities of my own. As long as you carry the Champion's Sword, or any sword I made, for that matter, I can tell where you are and what's going on around you."

"Oh, really? So you could tell me where the Master Sword is right now?"

"But of course!" Dolvin's eyes shifted focus, and he seemed to be staring at the empty air. He did not seem to like what he saw, though, for his eyes widened in shock.

"What the... how can he? This boy is using it to... cut grass? _My Master Sword? _Used like a cheap scythe?" He shifted focus back to Ganondorf. "Lad, if you ever see this disrespectful young man, make sure to give him a sound thrashing!"

"I'm afraid I can't do that. I've sworn an oath not to harm him."

"What? Oh boy, I don't even want to hear the story behind that one. Fine, let him do what he wishes. He looked somehow familliar, though... as if I had seen him before."

"That's because you probably have. But enough of him."

"Yes, you're right, you have to be on your way. I'd wish you luck, boy, but you'd better not need it."

The old dwarf took deep breath and nodded at Ganondorf. Ganondorf nodded back.

"Farewell, old man. We will meet again."

"Of that, I have no doubt."

Ganondorf conjured up the image of his temple in the Dark Realm in his mind, and the usual tendrils of black smoke started billowing around him. To his credit, Dolvin did not seem very surprised as Ganondorf was enveloped by darkness and vanished into thin air.


	8. Duel at Death Mountain

**Chapter 8: Duel at Death Mountain**

After arriving in his temple, Ganondorf took the time to set some things right that had fallen out of order in the weeks of his absence. While he valued his army of monsters, who obeyed every command they were given as long as they had the capacity to understand it, they had a tendency to go out of bounds without any commands. In the past, he had used to keep a lieutenant of some sort around in order to keep them in line during his absence, but Agyra had left his services, so the monsters had made themselves at home within his sanctum, throwing everything into most impressive disarray, not dissimilar to what he had observed in Hyrule Castle. Wryly smiling at the thought of getting a taste of his own medicine, he cleared his throne room, chasing out the monsters bold enough to have taken up residence there. He considered testing the Champion's Sword against them, but that would not do: He had never been in the habit of killing his subordinates without a very good reason, and smashing up some furniture and leaving a foul stench in his throne room just wasn't good enough. Besides, Dolvin might have been watching him, and the sight of his latest and perhaps greatest creation being used to carve up some dumb monsters probably would have sent him flying into a rage. So he chose to simply singe them a bit using a spell that he remembered only too well, the one his teachers of the arcane, the old witches Koume and Kotake, had delightedly used on him whenever he failed to live up to their expectations way back during his youth. Which had not happened very often, of course, since he had been an adept pupil.

The monsters swiftly vacated his throne room, carrying the news to the rest of their kind that Ganondorf had returned. Now that his sanctum was his own once again, he sat down on his throne and took a moment to compose his thoughts. He did not plan on delaying his assault on the Celestial Realm for very long, but he decided he would rest for the remainder of the day, and attack tomorrow. After his wearying journey and the hard work at Dolvin's place, he was not at peak strength, and he preferred to be there when he faced the Goddesses. As powerful as he might be, he was not beyond the mundane physical needs of nourishment and sleep, so he had some food brought to him – disgusting stuff, really, like everything his monsters cooked, but it replenished his strength, so he did not care much about the taste. He laid down on one of the makeshift beds of straw the monsters had built, set up a number of wards that would set off an alarm if anybody approached him during his rest, placed the Champion's Sword on the ground next to him, and went to sleep.

* * *

In spite of its name, night never truly fell over the Dark Realm. Instead, it was always enshrouded by a gloomy twilight that had bothered Ganondorf when he had first been imprisoned here, but he had become used to it soon – he had not had a choice. Neither stars nor sun nor moon ever showed their faces in the featureless sky that always looked the same, like an endless blanket of grey clouds. That blanket was the first thing Ganondorf saw when he awoke, since he had not found an opportunity to fix the ceiling of his temple that he himself had destroyed three weeks ago. The lack of celestial bodies made it impossible to tell how long he had slept, but he felt reasonably refreshed, so the answer to that question was 'long enough'. But when a familiar voice came thundering from outside, he realized that he had not waken up on his own.

"I know you are in there, Ganon! Answer my challenge and come out, or I will come in!"

The voice belonged to Din, he realized, and the drowsiness of sleep left him in an instant. He leapt to his feet, grabbed the Champion's Sword and flew up into the sky as he had done three weeks ago, determined to make up for his shameful defeat back then. He was ready to face Din immediately, but she was not there. Or rather, she was there, standing in exactly the same place on the plain before his temple as the last time, but her size had changed. Instead of being a giant, she now appeared only slightly taller than Ganondorf himself. Maybe that was her true size, or maybe only a ploy to make him underestimate her, but it made no difference. He slowly sank down to the ground, and his feet touched the soil perhaps five metres before her. She wore the same armor as during their last encounter, with an added helmet that covered most of her face. Instead of the huge mace, she was carrying a burning sword in each of her hands, amber falling from their tips, searing the soil below her.

"Not so big anymore, eh?" he taunted her.

"That was just for show," Din answered. "In fact, keeping up this huge size put a significant strain on my powers, so I was in fact handicapping myself for your sake. But there will be no holding back this time. And no quarter given."

"It will not end like our first encounter," Ganondorf told her, and pointed the Champion's Sword at her.

"Ah, yes, your precious new sword." She gave the black-and-red blade a derisive look. "Made by that old fool who isn't even grateful to us for sparing his miserable life."

He forced himself to ignore her insults against Dolvin.

"In fact, it's because of this sword that I am here. I have been watching you, naturally, and I admit there is a small chance that this sword of yours could harm us. So I came to put an end to you now, once and for all."

"What about your precious sisters?"

"I do not answer to them. I am here of my own free will, and I will show them what I have done by presenting them your severed head."

"So the you choose to fight divided and fall divided. Too bad. That will make it far too easy."

Din shook her head in disgust.

"You have not learned your lesson at all, I see. Still every bit full of empty bravado and arrogance as the last time. You just do not know your betters. And to think I once looked with favour upon you! Thought you my champion, someone worthy of the Triforce of Power! I have misjudged you greatly."

Ganondorf sighed. This talking was pointless. She would not intimidate him, and he would not intimidate here. So they might just as well get it over with. He gripped the Champion's Sword with both hands and assumed a ready stance.

"Oh no, not quite yet," Din said, taking a small step back. "You see, I cannot stand this place. It used to be so beautiful, but you have befouled it! It will take even me some time to turn it back into its original condition after I've killed you. I refuse to fight you here again. And you should be happy about that, for I have chosen a far nicer vista for your death than this wretched place."

Magical energy emanated from within Din and expanded outside, surrounding both her and Ganondorf. He might have fought it but chose not to. In truth, although he had grown used to it, he was not particularly fond of the Dark Realm either.

Everything around him except Din vanished in red smoke, and a second later, they reappeared somewhere else. Somewhere hot. Ganondorf looked around, and liked what he saw.

They were standing on a roughly circular rock platform, five or six metres in diameter, swimming in a lake of molten lava, surrounded by high crater walls. The heat was tremendous and would have singed a mere mortal's skin, but neither he nor Din were much affected by it.

"Death Mountain," he said approvingly. "A fitting place for your end." He took a few steps forward to test the plaftforms stability, but it did not sway very much; it would provide reasonably safe footing.

"Are you ready?" he asked. He was not very fond of sneakiness, and it would lessen his victory if he simply cut her down before she was prepared.

"Oh, how chivalrous of you, Ganon. I am one of the Golden Goddesses. We are always ready."

She raised her burning blades and charged at him. Ganondorf readied himself and deflected them with a horizontal blow, following up with a frontal thrust. Din turned aside and it passed her, leaving him overextended for a second, and she used that time to strike at his torso, her swords closing in on him like a scissor, making sidestepping impossible. He had to react fast, so he let go of his sword and dropped to the ground, the swords almost searing his hair as they passed over his head. Din laughed in triumph and struck again, and Ganondorf could only clumsily roll away. As her swords hit the ground, he threw a lightning bolt at her: She was not prepared for a magical attack and was hit squarely in the chest. The lightning bounced back without hurting her, like all of his magic did, but not without upsetting her balance, and he leapt toward his sword, clutched it and got to his feet just in time to parry the next blows.

"Your feeble magics can't hurt me!"

_I know that_, he answered in his mind, _but they certainly can distract you._

However, he was no fool, and he knew how close he had come to defeat within the first minute of battle. His sword was heavy and slow, and Din could attack much faster, and from two different angles. He was not going to match her in speed and agility, so he would have to rely on brute strength and power.

Din knew that, of course, and she was not going to give him enough time to strike a heavy blow. She kept him busy, so he could use his sword merely to parry, unable to mount an attack of his own as her fireblades came at him again and again, leaving him no room. She slowly drove him toward the edge of the platform, and although Ganondorf dared not turn his head, he could tell from the increasing heat that he was close to falling off and to a painful and undignified death. Then he realized that he did not have to fall, did a backflip, and hovered in the air above the lava. His move took Din by surprise, and he followed it up by rising several metres above her, raising his sword, and leaping down toward her.

She dodged, not much to his amazement, and his sword came crushing down on the platform, which shook, but held. He launched another magic missile at her, and she used one of her swords to send it right back at him. He barely dodged it and, remembering only too well the dangers of _that_ game from painful experience, he decided not to bother with magic anymore except when in dire straits, and threw himself at her with all his might. Din expected another magic projectile and had to switch her stance to parry his blow, and that was all he needed. He pressed the attack, bringing the Champion's Sword down on her with all the force he could muster, blocked at each and every turn by Din's own blades.

"So you _can_ fight back!," she exclaimed, her breath fast and her voice excited. "The last time I beat you up was no fun at all!"

"I'm glad you're enjoying yourself," he said sarcastically, continuing his relentless assault. He had slowly driven her back until they were fighting right in the centre of the platform, and she stood her ground there, not surrendering another inch. Ganondorf hit harder and harder, his arms burning with every impact, but in a good way. Only the weak feared pain; the strong suffered it gladly and only became stronger for it.

He knew not what material Din's swords were crafted from, but they could only take so much punishment. After several more brutal strikes he heard a faint cracking sound, and with another strong blow he shattered the flaming swords in twain. Understandably startled, Din managed just in time to raise a protective barrier around her which deflected Ganondorf's next thrust, which would have been fatal otherwise. He quickly found the spell to dissolve it and thanked the long-dead witches for their teachings, but during those precious seconds, his enemy had conjured up another sword, not bothering to imbue it with fire, and a heavy rectangular shield with the Triforce insignia inscribed on its front.

"Your sword is strong, I'll grant you that," she said. "But you will not get through my defence!"  
Ganondorf did not answer, but thrust at her, hitting the shield head-on but failing to pierce it. But now that her offensive potential had decreased, he did not need to rely on brute force quite as much as before, and lessened the intensity of his attacks, fighting in a more refined style, seeing whether she would make a mistake. But he had no such luck, and the fight continued for a while without many blows traded, the opponents circling and closely observing each other, occasionally feigning weakness to lure the other in, but neither of them was foolish enough to fall for any tricks. Ganondorf wondered for a second who Din might have been sparring with over the centuries, since her skills were clearly well-honed, but right now he could not be diverted by idle thoughts and dismissed them.

In any other location, both fighters would have broken out a heavy sweat by now, but with the enormous heat surrounding them, both were positively drenched. Ganondorf remembered Dolvin's assurance that the Goddesses could bleed and die, and Din's visible exhaustion lent credence to that claim. He was not afraid that his strength might leave him anytime soon, forhe had built up a high level of endurance during his long life, but still, he did not wish this slow dance to continue forever, so he decided to force their duel to a new level. He rose into the air again (which prompted another mocking comment from Din questioning his bravery), gained some height, and then came crashing down fast, his fists glowing with magical energy. Din laughed at him, saying he would never hit her, but that was not his intention. He struck the platform, and the impact shattered it into several smaller pieces, none of which had sufficient buoyancy to float on the lava's surface. Both fighters had to fly upwards to avoid getting pulled into the molten rock; even though Din might have been powerful enough to survive being engulfed in lava, she did not seem particularly eager to find out.

"What was the point of this?" she shouted at him through the air. "We came from the sky to build this world! Did you think I could not fly?"

"You did not build it! You destroyed it so you could play gods!"

"We _are_ Gods! And I will teach you never to forget that for the rest of your short life!"

She launched herself at him, moving with what Ganondorf might have called grace if he had been inclined to compliment his enemy, which he was definitely not. Things like these could wait until after the fight, when one's enemy drew his last breath.

Swordfighting in mid-air was quite different from its counterpart on the ground, Ganondorf found, something he had counted on. They were no longer forced to watch their footing and could move much faster. On the other hand, without any ground beneath their feet to brace themselves, every time their swords clashed they were thrown backwards, away from each other, reeling in mid-air until they had regained their balance and came at each other again.

Of course this meant a higher chance for either side to slip up and make a mistake, especially since neither of them could have much experience in this sort of fighting. Din seemed ever so slightly unnerved by this, but dared not turn her back on her enemy to seek out safe ground. Ganondorf, on the other hand, enjoyed the challenge immensely, circling her, trying to get a stab at her side or back. Her speed matched his, though, and her shield blocked his strikes no matter how quick he was. He started rapidly teleporting around her, hoping she would lose track of his position, but she managed to always turn just fast enough to defend herself. He increased the frequency of his teleports, pressing her hard, to the point where he almost got sick. He knew he would either have to finish this fast or desist, because he was about to lose orientation. Din, on the other hand, was even worse off, spinning around like a broken compass needle, choosing directions almost at random, her shield appearing like a cylindrical wall around her.

Dolvin had said that the Goddesses could bleed and die. Apparently, they could also get dizzy. Din had reached her limits, it seemed, because she stopped spinning, lowered her shield and covered her sickly-looking face with her sword-arm. That moment of weakness was all Ganondorf needed: He appeared directly in front of her and thrust the Champion's Sword toward her chest as hard as he could. With some resistance it pierced her breastplate, went smoothly through her body and left it through the weaker armour at her back.

Din gasped, as much out of disbelief as in pain. She dropped sword and shield, both of which vanished in the lava below, and clutched the Champion's Sword which was buried up to the hilt in her chest, her fingers touching Ganondorf's, weakly trying to push it back. But he would not allow it, and so they remained, hovering in mid-air above Death Mountain, Din still staring at him as though she refused to believe that she had lost.

"You fought well," he said, but that was as far as complimenting her would go. The wound he had inflicted on her did not bleed very heavily, probably because the sword was keeping it closed off, but Ganondorf took notice that the blood was there, and that it was as red as his own. Finally, when Din's fingers were growing cold to his touch, she spoke, her voice reduced to a faint rattling:

"Rejoice while you can, Ganon. You have only beaten the youngest of us... and the weakest." That admission seemed to pain her more than the mortal wound in her chest.

"My dear sisters... will avenge me!"

With that, she breathed her last, her limp body now only held in the air by the Champion's Sword. Ganondorf, not much impressed by her last words, irreverently put a foot to her chest and pulled out his sword, letting her drop towards the lava below.

"NO!"

A terrible cry rent the heavens asunder, and a figure that looked much like Din, except unarmed and unarmoured and glowing green instead of red, appeared in the sky above Ganondorf. He readied himself for her attack, but she ignored him completely, diving down with enormous speed toward the Death Mountain crater. She caught Din's lifeless body just before it plunged into the lava and cradled it in her arms like a doll.

"You fool! You terrible, terrible fool! When you volunteered for watching Ganon, you agreed to inform us before you ran off to fight him again! Why didn't you do it? Why? You knew the sword could harm us. ANSWER ME!"

But Din could not answer anyone anymore. Ganondorf watched the green Goddess, who had to be Farore, Goddess of Courage, and wondered whether he should take this opportunity to dispatch her as well. But he decided against it: Not only would he have to enter the Celestial Realm anyway to get to the third sister, Nayru, but he also considered such a low act beneath him. Although he hated the Goddesses, he was not without empathy. He knew how powerful an emotion grief was, and he respected that, if nothing else. So he decided to simply withdraw for now, flew up to the crater's rim to bring some distance between him and her, and began casting the spell that would transport him back into the Dark Realm. He wondered whether Farore would follow him there. He did not think it likely, but he would be ready in either case.

"You will regret this, Ganon," he heard Farore shout as darkness covered him once again. Apparently, in spite of her emotional state, she had taken notice of him at last.

"We will make you pay dearly for what you have done here today! The pain I'm feeling now will be as nothing compared to what we will inflict on you!"

If she kept shouting any more threats, Ganondorf could not hear them, for he had arrived in his temple in the Dark Realm. Only now, that the danger of battle was over, elation came to him. He had done it! He had proven Dolvin right, and slain one of the three Goddesses! And the dwarf hat no doubt watched him through his magical connection with the Champion's Sword, which made his victory even sweeter.

But his task was nowhere near completed. Two Goddesses still remained, and now that they knew how grave a threat he truly was, they would certainly stop at nothing to bring him down before he could kill them, as well. He would grant them a short reprieve, for the sake of his own recuperation as well, and then seek them out in their own realm and take them on, both at the same time if it came to that. Only then would they learn the true extent of his wrath.

He laughed, then, perhaps louder than ever before in his eventful life. His triumphant laughter echoed within the halls of his sanctum, audible all over the Dark Realm with the force of a thunderstorm, and perhaps even carrying into the realms beyond.


	9. The End of Wisdom

**Chapter 9: The End of Wisdom**

Monsters usually made their home all over the Dark Realm, those in Ganondorf's service as well as the few that remained independent, too smart or too stupid to serve in his army. Few monster types knew any form of higher speech and thus were not prone to forming large communities, let alone cities. So they were spread all over the grey-and-brown landscape, dwelling in caves and woods and the occasional mudhut. None of them, however, not even the dumbest, dared make their home upon the Triforce plain, the wide, empty area where the Goddesses had first placed the golden triangles before leaving for the Celestial Realm. And although the Triforce had not rested here again after Ganondorf had tried to claim it for himself long ago, its presence still lingered, suffusing the air, and that unnerved the monsters to no end, and they kept a respectful distance. Therefore, Ganondorf was alone when he returned, for the first time in many centuries, to this fateful place; after all, there was nothing there, so he had never had a reason to come here except when he had felt the urge to reminisce. But today was different. Today, he had an excellent reason. He was looking for the gate to the Celestial Realm.

If Dolvin's words were true (and he had no reason to doubt them), the Goddesses had ascended into the sky somewhere around here and left a gap or at least a spot where the border between the Dark Realm and the Celestial Realm was weakened. Ganondorf looked upon the sky and let his eyes wander, but if the gap was there, it was not visible; the plains were covered with the same impenetrable grey clouds as the rest of the land. He did not quite remember where exactly the Triforce used to be, and since there were no landmarks at all, he simply ventured into the approximate centre of the plains and flew up into the air.

If he had staid on the ground a moment longer, the earthquake that suddenly shook the land below would probably swept him off his feet, but as it were, he could simply watch from above how the earth trembled and some small fissures opened here and there. Ever since he had killed Din the day before, these quakes were a regular occurrence all over the Dark Realm, and although none of them lasted very long or did much damage, all of them taken together were enough to scare whatever wits his superstitious monsters had right out of them. Only a fool would not have seen these quakes for what they were: The two remaining Goddesses were attempting to strike back at him in a manner that did not put them in harm's way, which basically confirmed that neither of them would seek him out like Din had. Which meant he had to find that spot in the sky. He had returned to Death Mountain on the morning after his victory, hoping that Farore had left behind some kind of opening when she crossed through, but to no avail. So he had to find the original portal Dolvin had spoken about.

Ignoring the ongoing quake, Ganondorf quickly gained altitude and reached the cloud blanket. He lowered his speed, for he knew there was an invisible, yet impregnable barrier just above the clouds, preventing him, or anyone else, for that matter, from leaving the Dark Realm. During his first imprisonment here, he had spent many days fruitlessly trying to find an opening in order to escape back into Hyrule, but of course there had been no way for him to search every square metre of sky. Not that there had not been time enough for that during his imprisonment; he just had not had the patience, instead searching other means, usually involving someone in Hyrule who would create an opening for him. Either way, he had not found this portal back then, but that was probably just bad luck, or he simply had not been sufficiently skilled to sense it.

Today was a different matter entirely. Ganondorf had become quite sensitive to the barrier between the Realms, and had learned to open portals between the Dark Realm and Hyrule at will. Using that knowledge, he would surely be able to fine the portal to the Celestial Realm and begin his final assault on the Goddesses. He closed his eyes and concentrated, probing the barrier with repeated magic spells, much as one would have looked for a hollow spot in a wall by knocking against it.

He did not have to search very long: After a few minutes, one particular spot reacted to his probing spell in an unusual manner, and Ganondorf knew that he had found his portal. He flew up to the spot, which to the naked eye did not look different from the rest of the grey sky, and put his mind on how to open it. But before he could do much thinking or experimenting, he felt a strong magical presence – not as strong as his own, but close enough – in the air below him. He looked down and saw a human-sized figure wearing a black, hooded cloak, hovering in the air, slowly rising up to him. Its presence felt familiar somehow, though he could not quite put his finger on it. It was certainly not one of his monsters: Few of them had any magical abilities (not for a lack of trying, but a lack of intellect), and none of those were nearly powerful enough to fly this high. So no matter who it was, it was a potential danger.

"Stop right where you are. Any closer, and I will blow you out of the sky," he shouted, and the figure stopped its advance obediently, several metres below him. So he or she was not stupid, at least.

"Who are you"?

The figure raised its arms and lifted its head, uncovering a female face with cold eyes and black, short hair that Ganondorf knew well.

"It is me, my lord, Agyra. I have returned to take my place at your side again."

For a moment, he could not believe his eyes and ears. Then he laughed; not in triumph, but in mockery.

"So, operating alone didn't work out for you? The Hylians ran you out of their land?"

"Something... like that. They did not appreciate the assistance I have lent you."

"And you didn't think of that before you left, fearing the wrath of the Goddesses?"

"My lord, I was not thinking right. Forgive me, but I judged your power to be less than theirs, and did not wish to lose an unwinnable fight at your side. But now that you've proven your power by defeating Din-"

"So you know about that, eh? Been keeping tabs on your old master?"

"No, my lord, it was nothing like that! All of Hyrule must know, surely, for the tearful voice of her sister could be heard all over the land! Word must be spreading into the neighbouring kingdom by now, word of Ganondorf, the Godslayer."

She was trying to flatter him, of course. He would have none of it.

"And what makes you think that I would accept you again, you blasted ingrate, after you deserted me like that, in the hour of my greatest shame? Give me one good reason why I shouldn't burn you to cinders right here and now and have your ashes rain down on my realm?"

"Please, my Lord, I beg of you!" She flew closer to him as if to prostrate herself, but not close enough for him to feel threatened. Not that a wretch like her could threaten him, anyway. He could see her face now, and there were tears streaming over her pale cheeks. Her skin seemed smoother and her features more symmetrical than when he had last seen her, but then again, he might be wrong, for he had never cared about her physical appearance all that much.

"You used to be prideful, Agyra," Ganondorf said with a hint of disappointment. "A character trait I value highly. Quit begging and get out of my eyes."

"I would do so at once, my lord, if only I was begging for myself! But I am begging you on behalf of Hyrule!"

"Hyrule? What nonsense is this?"

"I beg your pardon, my lord, but did you not know?"

"Know _what_? My patience is running very thin..."

"The earthquakes, my lord! I have felt them here on this side, too, but they are much worse in Hyrule! Many times worse!"

"They are?"

Although the bulk of his army had retreated to the Dark Realm, Ganondorf was not entirely without eyes and ears in Hyrule. He bid Agyra wait and called upon them, trying to ascertain whether or not she was speaking the truth.

According to his agents, she was. A series of heavy quakes had been torturing Hyrule since the day before, with buildings collapsing all over the land. Most towns had been evacuated by royal decree, testament to Princess Zelda's quick reaction, and the people were praying to the Gods for their salvation, a rather futile endeavour, Ganondorf mused, as they were the ones causing the quakes in the first place. He reproached his agents with their failure to notify him of this important development – why else did they think they were working for him – but apparently they, too, had been trembling in fear of the next quake and all but forgotten about their master. Ganondorf snorted in disgust, but had no time for disciplining them right now.

"They are using Hyrule to blackmail me," he said aloud. "They know of my oath, and hope that I will desist in order to save it."

"Yes, that must be it," Agyra nodded. "So what will you do, my lord?"

"What kind of question is this?," he barked at her. "It is them causing the damage, not me! My oath has nothing to do with this! They bear responsibility for their own actions, as do I for mine. No one is forcing them to do this except their own malice!"

"I though so, my lord. That is why I must offer you my aid! The only way to stop Hyrule from being destroyed -"

"And you can't have that, since you want to rule it one day, isn't that right?"

"My lord, please! Yes, I had that ambition, and I still have it... but I am also one of them! I wish to rule them for their own good, not to ruin them!"

Ganondorf did not believe that for a second, but did not bother to call her on it.

"So the only way to save Hyrule is to defeat Nayru and Farore as fast as possible! And in that I wish to help you, to lend you whatever small power I have!"

That did make sense, Ganondorf had to admit, since he had come to the same conclusion. It might not be his fault that Hyrule suffered, but it was still within his power to shorten that suffering. And he also knew, without being told by his agents, that the Hylians were holding him responsible for their woe – and how could he possibly blame them? After all, he had revelled in his notoriety for so long... now it came back to haunt him. He had no problem with answering for his actions, but not for the actions of others! He would kill the Goddesses, and do his part to save the Hylians from unnecessary suffering, and, if possible, set the record straight about who was to blame. Still, he wondered what Zelda and Link were thinking right now, and whether they, too, connected him to the quakes. Whether they considered him an oathbreaker. He did not like that thought at all.

"Very well, Agyra. I accept you back into my services – but you better make yourself useful."

"Thank you, my lord!" Her happiness was not feigned. "What would you have me do?"

"There is a portal right above us, leading to the realm of the Goddesses. Do you feel it?"

She closed her eyes, and after a brief pause confirmed it.

"I will concentrate my power on it to force it open. You will add your power to mine while I'm doing this. That is all."

"As you wish, my lord," she answered, flying behind him and assuming her old position as his shadow. "I am ready."

Ganondorf nodded, hoping that his wayward servant would at least be of some use. He began concentrating on the closed-off portal, trying to crack it open using his power. A stream of purple energy emanated from him and to the spot where the portal was. He felt Agyra's power, then, streaming into him from behind him, nowhere near as potent as his own, but still, every little bit helped. Soon enough, he felt a fissure in the portal, and wondered briefly if the Goddesses on the other end would notice his attempt and try to stabilize it. But that did not seem to be the case, for he felt no resistance, no attempts to close the crack he had made. He put all his energy into it, save the minimum that was needed to keep him afloat, and knew that he was about a second from breaking through.

A sudden burst of pain erupted in his back, chilling and numbing him as though someone had pierced his back with an icicle. He howled in pain, abandoning all efforts to open the portal, almost stopping levitation and falling down. The cold spread throughout his body, numbing his muscles like a paralyzing poison. Then there was a second burst of agony, slightly different from the first, as if the icicle was being pulled out again. In spite of the numbness, he managed to turn himself around, and stared into the cold eyes of Agyra, an emotionless expression on her face. The long dagger she held in her left hand was shimmering blue and white like magical frost, except that most of it was covered in blood. His blood.

"Why... you treacherous little wretch!"

"You may call stabbing a powerful enemy in the back 'treachery'," she said calmly, her voice now devoid of any emotion. "I choose to call it 'wisdom'."

He stared at her, remembering Dolvin's warning, realizing that the woman floating there was not Agyra, realizing what a fool he had been.

"Nayru."

"Correct."

Agyra's body was enveloped by a swirl of magical energy, and after it receded, the Goddess of Wisdom appeared before him, wearing no armor, but an unadorned blue cowl, still holding the same dagger she had used to stab him.

He could barely speak, his tongue as numb as the rest of his body.

"I... I will... destroy you!"

"Extremely unlikely. Your wound alone might not kill you, considering your ridiculous endurance, but you will be kept motionless by the chill until you bleed out."

"What... did you do... Agyra?"

She raised her eyebrows in surprise.

"You care to know? Very well: She prayed with all her might to us, to let her serve us, to strike you down and take the Triforce of Power as a reward. Of course, I could not trust her not to fumble this vital task, nor not to give herself away while I was executing it. So I terminated her and vaporized her remains."

"Good... riddance..."

"To her as well as to you, Ganon. Once you die, I will take the Triforce of Power and personally ensure that nothing remains of you that even the strongest magic could resurrect." She moved closer to him until her face was but a hand's breadth removed from his, her now blue eyes piercing his face.

"By killing one of the Golden Goddesses, you have violated the law that I imposed upon your world. Therefore, it is my sacred task to be both your judge and executioner."

The terrible cold inside Ganondorf had spread throughout most of his body, leaving only his hands and feet momentarily able to move. He could not even reach and draw his sword to defend himself. He was done for.

_I almost deserve it for being so trusting_, he thought. _Dolvin warned me of their guile, and still I fell prey to it. I am a pathetic fool._

A pathetic fool who really, truly did not want to lose, did not want to die, again. So he postponed the self-loathing until a more opportune time and thought about how he could save himself and, if possible, kill the Goddess before him.

_If I could use my sword, it would be easy_, he thought. _But to draw it, I have to move my body. But my body is freezing... so I need to warm it._

He remembered a spell Koume had used to scare him when he was first sent to be taught magic by her and Kotake, at age seven. The old witch had set her entire body ablaze, rushing towards him on her broomstick, screaming like a crazed monster. It had scared the young Ganondorf once, only once, and years later, he had asked her to teach him this spell, although he had never used it outside of training.

Right now seemed to be the perfect time to use it.

He performed a short gesture with his right hand, which he barely managed to move, and in an instant, his body burst into flames, causing an almost debilitating amount of pain, but also dispelling the deadly chill that had gripped his body. He roared, as much in agony as in exultation, and could move again, though every muscle in his body was literally burning.

All of this took merely a second, and Nayru was completely taken aback, not having expected her beaten and immobilized foe to ever move again, and certainly not expecting that he would immolate himself. She tried raising her hands in order to cast a protective shell around her, or perhaps only to weakly fend off his strike, but Ganondorf was faster than her. With a single movement, he drew the Champion's Sword, which was the only thing on his body that was not burning, and executed a quick horizontal slash, cutting off Nayru's head cleanly above the neck. The Goddess did not utter a single sound as her head and body fell towards the ground, as reserved and dignified in death as she had been in life.

Unfortunately, Ganondorf was about to follow her. He remembered the spell to put out the fire ravaging his body and did so, but the damage had already been done, not to mention the deep wound in his back. What was left of his strength failed him, and he could barely hold on to the Champion's Sword as he plummeted toward the featureless ground, from a height that might kill even him. While he was falling, he scraped together what little power he could muster and created an updraft wind gust below his body. It could not keep him afloat, but is slowed down his fall, and when he hit the ground, he even managed to remain conscious. Which meant he had survived.

"NAYRU!"

Just like with Din, the Goddess of Courage suddenly appeared, this time on the ground right next to the body of her fallen sister – and thus, very close to Ganondorf, who probably would have landed on Nayru's corpse had the gust not thrown him off a few metres. He could not move a single muscle, and it was painfully obvious that he was in no condition to fight; but neither was Farore, wailing and screaming at her dead sister, not even noticing the motionless body of her killer lying close by.

"Don't leave me, too! What shall I do without you? DON'T LEAVE ME ALONE!"

Of course her pleading had no effect on the beheaded Goddess, and after a short while, still not noticing Ganondorf, she took Nayru's body and severed head into her arms and vanished as suddenly as she had appeared. Ganondorf allowed himself a sigh of relief, although it made his lungs feel as if they were still burning.

Monsters never entered the Triforce plain unless commanded to, so there was no hope of any of them finding him out here. He could not pass out, refused to pass out, or else there was a good chance he might not wake up again. So he just laid there on the ground, resting, gathering new strength, until he felt ready to move again. It hurt, of course, but Ganondorf clenched his teeth and bore it, as he slowly crawled the long way towards his temple. He might be in a terrible condition right now, but he was _winning_ his war, and now only one enemy remained. Feelings of elation eased his pain, though it was still almost too much to bear, even for him. He forced himself to continue his crawl, and hoped that we would encounter a helpful monster on his way.


	10. Cataclysm's Night

**Chapter 10: Cataclysm's Night**

The refugee camp in the middle of Hyrule Field finally fell silent as the sun set and the ragged fugitives, most of them from Castle Town, went to sleep, be it on salvaged blankets or simply on the grassy ground. A vigil had been posted to rouse up the people in case of another earthquake, although there was not much they would be able to do in that case, except pray that the earth would not engulf them. As she had expected, Zelda found Link sitting by one of the fires, having volunteered for the first shift. Both of them were exhausted, having done whatever they could to help during the day, and neither could afford to lose what little sleep they could get during the night. But sleep was not a servant who came when called and left when dismissed; he was his own master, and right now, he blessed neither of them with his presence.

"Hello, Link," she said, trying not to startle him. Then again, in the six months she had known him, she had yet to find anything or anyone that could.

He turned his head, nodded and smiled, recognizing her. Zelda approached him and sat down, her royal gown filthy and tattered; but she had not found the time to change, nor the clothes to change into.

"Look," she said, presenting a small blue item to him. "The Ocarina of Time. I ran back into the tower before it collapsed and got it." That admission earned her a critical frown from Link.

"Yes, I know it was risky, but it is the oldest treasure of the Royal Family that is left," she touched hear earrings, "next to these. I just couldn't allow it to be crushed under the stones." She offered him the ocarina. "Do you want to play it? I know you enjoy it. It makes you remember things, doesn't it?"

Link nodded, took the ocarina, put it to his mouth and started playing. It was not a song with magical properties that would arouse the ocarina's power, just a slow, sad melody that was quite appropriate, considering the day's events. Zelda closed her eyes and listened, saying nothing for a while, trying to clear her head from the chaos and destruction she had lived through today. The Castle was now only a ruin, the earthquakes having finished the job that the moblins had not completed. Castle Town had fared a bit better, thankfully, with ‚merely' a third or so of all buildings destroyed, but many of the surviving houses were badly damaged and could collapse on their owners at any time. At first, the townspeople had complained when Zelda had ordered the town evacuated, as the first quake had not done that much damage, but when the second quake shook it shortly after everyone had left town, they were silently grateful for the wisdom of her princess.

Then she recalled the one thing that had set this chain of event into motion – the sorrowful, tortured scream coming from Death Mountain, and the terrible wailing that followed it. All of Hyrule must have heard it, but Zelda and Link may have been the only ones to grasp its terrible significance. One of the Goddesses had fallen at Ganon's hands, and the first earthquake had hit Hyrule not long after that. No doubt the health and welfare of this land and the entire world was connected to the Gods that had created it, and it had been the death of the Goddess, and not Ganon's magic, like most of the people believed, that had triggered the earthquake. She did not have the heart to tell the people, who worshipped the Goddesses, the terrible truth, at least not right now, not before the crisis was over. And she feared that it was nowhere near over.

Link stopped playing, his song having run its course, and put the ocarina on his knees. He looked at Zelda, knowing, as he always did, when she needed to talk. And he would listen, as he always did.

"If the death of one Goddess has caused all this... then what will happen when Ganon kills another one, or both of them? I'm so afraid... I think Hyrule will be destroyed. And there's nothing I can do about – I'm sorry, nothing we can do about it. I...I just don't know what to do."

Her royal nursemaid, an old, stern woman that had died two years ago, had made her promise never to cry, that tears were a sign of weakness unbecoming of a Princess, but even as a child, Zelda had known that this was nonsense, although she had humoured the old woman. Now she felt no longer bound by that promise and started crying. She half expected Link to try and console her, but he knew better; knew that some things could not be mended by words, and that sometimes, saying nothing was the best thing one could do. Instead, he put the ocarina back to his lips and played another tune, a very old one, that had traditionally been used by the royal handmaidens to calm their charges down when they could not sleep. Zelda recognized it, naturally, and it was not without an effect on her, for when the song was over, she had stopped crying.

"Normally, you shouldn't play that song around me," she mock-chided him. "It's a song for young children, you know. But right now, it was a good idea. Thank you, Link."

He was pleased to see her sadness pushed back, if only for a short time.

"Maybe things will still turn out all right," she said hopefully. "Maybe Ganon will be stopped, or maybe he will see reason. If only I could talk to him..."

Link frowned again, obviously still opposed to any talks with the King of Evil. He sighed, perhaps remembering his promise to let her try to reason with him if they met again, and shook his head.

"You still think I am naive, don't you? No, don't deny it, it's all right. You of all people must be open with me, especially if you disagree. But words can change the world as sure as sword strokes can. I once used words to change Ganon, and I hope I can find the right words to change him again."

Maybe she thought to much of herself? Maybe her words had not been very important at all in turning Ganon on his mad quest? But she had been so sure at the time...

Suddenly, the ground started vibrating violently, and Zelda and Link jumped to their feet immediately.

"Another quake," she said. "We must wake-"

But she did not get to complete her sentence, nor did she or Link get to wake up anyone, for the earth exploded and spat fire at them. Zelda froze in shock for a second, but Link did not, taking her by his hand and pulling her away from the fissure that had opened in the middle of the camp. It was spewing fire like a geyser spewed water, and after a second, the spot where the two of them had been sitting had been set ablaze.

"By the Gods, it's getting worse," she shouted. "Ganon must have... We have to warn the people, Link, quickly!"

But Link had already emptied one of the cauldrons that had been used to cook food for the fugitives and was hitting it with the flat side of the Master Sword, effectively using it as a makeshift gong. The drumming sounds did not fail to fulfill their purpose, and the fugitives woke up, most of them confused.

"Everybody, get out of here! Take the old and sick ones and get away from the fire, fast!"

Zelda repeated her commands several times over as more and more people woke up. Then she concentrated on the fissure, trying to close it magically. It even seemed to work, for the earth began closing again, but before she was done, another crack in the earth opened somewhere else in the camp, and then another tremor knocked her off her feet, interrupting her efforts. She saw that the fire was already spreading on the dry grass, even without and the fissure spewing out more, and decided to focus her efforts on leading these people out alive. The camp was largely unlit, and some fugitives ran_ toward_ the fire, as it was the only major source of light. Zelda raised her left hand and cast a spell that illuminated the sky above the camp, so the people would at least know where _not_ to flee. To make things worse, a second fissure opened up outside of the camp, engulfing several unlucky Hylians, and spewing forth a slowly advancing stream of lava instead of mere fire. It created even more panic among the fugitives, who were running around aimlessly, often bumping into each other and creating even more confusion.To make things even worse, the earth continued shaking, knocking countless people on the ground during each tremor. Nobody knew which way to go, and she already saw two people trapped in the fire, screaming helplessly for aid. Without hesitation, Zelda used her power to teleport to them, grabbed the two men by their waists, and teleported out with them in tow. She ignored their words of gratitude, telling them instead to get going and help others. She cast another spell, this time in order to fight the terrible confusion, creating a golden image of the Triforce floating over her head, following her wherever she went.

"Follow the Triforce!," she shouted, amplifying her words magically, satisfied that, at least, her voice was not trembling. Her idea worked well: All people of Hyrule recognized the Triforce crest, and they fell into a more or less orderly procession and followed her out the burning camp. She did not see Link anywhere, but she was certain that he was helping someone or otherwise making himself useful. She surveyed Hyrule Field and was shocked to see that many fissures like the one behind them had opened, spewing fire or lava or both onto the formerly green fields of her homeland.

She had to get these people off the plains, and fast, for lava streams would soon be criss-crossing all over Hyrule Field, cutting off their escape route and splitting them into smaller groups. No, that had already happened, she saw, since for some reason a number of fugitives had not followed her lead, perhaps too panicked to even see the Triforce crest. Before she could do something about them, a large crevice opened among the fugitives, swallowing some of them and splitting the group another time. Zelda wanted to help them and summon up a magical bridge, but she must also help the other group, and the ones remaining in the camp, and she had to put out the fires, and...

It was all too much for her alone. Even the power of the Triforce did not allow her to be in several places simultaneously, and rather than running or teleporting around, being a small help to few people, she decided with a heavy heart that she had to lead as many to safety as she could, and pray to the Goddesses that the others somehow made it.

"Follow the Triforce, if you can," she shouted again, her voice carrying over Hyrule Field. "If you can't, or get separated from the group, get to Lake Hylia! And don't you _dare_ leave anybody behind!"

She did not know whether people even listened to her as she led the way toward the great lake in the southwest, but as she turned her head, she was relieved to see a sizable portion of the survivors following her. She had to slow down, though; she was young and fast, but many old and sick folk were among the fugitives, and she would not abandon anyone who was still breathing.

A fissure opened up right below her. She managed just in time to levitate, flying over the bottomless opening and diverting the ensuing flow of lava into another direction so that her people could pass by. Several of them cheered her on as she held her own against the mounting lava masses, only an invisible barrier between them and fiery death, and the encouragement of her people gave her new strength.

"Hurry past it, fast," she shouted as she saw people amassing around her instead of continuing on. She realized that the Triforce crest was still hovering over her head, jerked her arm around and sent it flying on its own into the proper direction, relieved to see that the fugitives followed it instead of just standing there. She waited until everyone was past the fissure, then slowly backed away to a safe distance and let go of the barrier, allowing the towering lava to cross the path her people had just walked. She allowed herself a deep breath, but only one, for she had to close the gap to the fugitives and take the lead again, before they ran into another obstacle. She dared not teleport over the distance lest she materialize within somebody and possibly kill both of them in a painful manner, so she ran, almost tripping over her own gown after a few feet. She decided that these garments were only hindering her and simply tore them off at the knees, gladly sacrificing propriety for practicality. Then she ran again, trying to catch up with the fugitives marching towards Lake Hylia, hoping to protect them from any danger on the way, and that the other groups would somehow made it. And Link! She felt a pang of guilt that she had not even thought about him ever since the cataclysm had begun. Was he part of her group? Or was he leading one of the others to safety? Or was he...

No, she dared not think about that. Link always came through somehow, she assured herself, and he probably needed less help than most of the other Hylians right now. She would keep her eyes open. That was all she could do.

She reached the group of fugitives, quickly making her way to the forefront, re-aligning the Triforce crest with herself along the way. People recognized her and again cheered for her, and that was the only comforting thing in the world right now.

"Keep the pace," she shouted, "we'll be safe from the fire once we reach Lake Hylia and cross over to one of the islands. Until then, stick together and follow me!"

Her people did as she told them to, and Zelda cast a quick spell to check whether they were heading into the right direction. They were. Not granting herself a moment's reprieve, she took the lead and guided her people toward safety.

* * *

Several hours later the band of refugees approached the shores of Lake Hylia. Here, too, crevices presented deadly traps, especially in the dark, and rivers of lava criss-crossed the landscape, but Zelda kept the group together and avoided all pitfalls. The usually tranquil lake was almost boiling, superheated by the lava streams feeding it, and she had to forcefully stop several fugitives trying to swim to the islands in the centre from throwing themselves to a horrible death.

"Hold still for a moment! I will make way for us!"

Zelda concentrated, channeling the power of the Triforce of Wisdom, and created a spectral bridge leading over the boiling water toward the islands promising safety. She stepped onto the bridge, trusting her own powers, and took several paces forward, her people gaping in amazement.

"Follow me," she waved, "to the islands! Do not fear! I promise you it is safe!" But the people hesitated, fearing to fall off the bridge's edges which were almost invisible in the darkness.

I can do better than that, Zelda told herself, and imbued the bridge with a radiant golden glow, clearly marking where it was safe to step. The refugees cheered, many of them only now realizing that there was a bridge at all, and walked onto it with confidence, crossing it fast, but orderly. Everybody made it safely across, and Zelda sighed in relief. She decided to fortify the bridge in case stragglers made it through, so that it would remain stable even if she stopped stabilizing it with her magic. After that, she told people to move toward the centre, so that further earthquakes would not hurl some of them into the boiling lake. She again disconnected the Triforce crest from her steps and sent it into the sky above the island, not only to serve as light source for the fugitives, but also as a beacon for all others who came to Lake Hylia in search of safety.

Now that the situation was stabilized, at least for her small band, she allowed herself to relax. Her knees gave in, as she had spent much of her body's strength for shaping the bridge and all the other spells, and she had to sit down. The Triforce mark on her hand was glowing brighter than ever before, than even during their recent fight against Ganon, showing her just how much energy she had expended. Of course it had all been worth it to save at least some of her terribly afflicted people.

Apparently, someone had started a cooking fire, and the countless dead fish that were spread all over the beach were being broiled to feed the people, for a middle-aged woman approached Zelda and offered her a fish pronged on a tree branch. She declined, but the woman insisted, pointing out that there were more dead fish than they could eat before they would go bad. She smiled, thanked her, and devoured the fish with a greed unbecoming of a princess, not that she or anyone else cared about that. She did not exactly look like a princess, either, her clothes blackened by smoke, her skin full of dirt, her gown torn and her hair dishevelled, but she _felt_ more of a princess to her people than ever before.

Just after she had finished eating, two young men who had volunteered as lookouts came running across the golden bridge, bringing news of another group of survivors approaching. Zelda immediately leaped up and ran toward the bridge, the two others barely keeping up with her. After crossing the apex of the bridge she could see them, a band perhaps half as big as her own, but she was grateful for every single Hylian who would survive this terrible night. The leader was carrying a makeshift torch in the left hand and a small baby, sleeping peacefully in spite of the chaos around it, tucked under his right arm. Zelda's heart leaped up in her chest when she recognized his green clothes, and ran towards him.

"Link! Oh, Link, thank the Gods!," she shouted and ran towards him, not caring what others might be thinking of her right now. She wanted to hug him but feared to hurt the baby, so she simply stood in front of him and beamed with joy. Link raised an eyebrow, as if surprised about her surprise at seeing him alive.

"Yes, I knew you would make it, but still, I was so worried. Come on, over this bridge, to our camp."

Link handed the baby over to a woman in his group and followed Zelda, and now it was her turn to grab him by his hand and pull him behind her on to the island. She practically force-fed him a grilled fish, then sat down next to him and let out another deep sigh. Then she felt another pang of guilt, for being so disproportionately happy about the survival of only one man, when surely many others were still lost in the inferno that had become Hyrule field. But was she not allowed a friend to worry about, as well?

"Now that you're here we can organise search parties," she said, "volunteers who go back onto the field and look for others and lead them back here. I will go with them, and I want you in charge of the camp while I'm gone, all right?"

Link clearly did not like letting Zelda go alone back there, but he could not possibly deny that she had proven herself capable of handling anything the enraged earth might throw at her, so he did not object. He waved her goodbye, and she met up with the other volunteers and crossed the bridge, once again entering Hyrule Field. There were so many things going on in her head that she almost became dizzy. She wanted to think about Ganondorf and his insane war, about how many Goddesses were still alive, what they could do to stop him, what would be happening to Hyrule, but she banished all those thoughts and concentrated on her rescue mission. She was Princess Zelda, protector of the people of Hyrule, and her people desperately needed her right now. For the moment, that was all she knew, all she had to know.

The rest would come later.


	11. Assault on Heaven

**Chapter 11: Assault on Heaven**

Ganondorf left his temple within the Dark Realm, the Champion's Sword at his side, and departed for the Triforce plain. Three days after his painful victory over Nayru that he had just barely pulled out of the maws of defeat, his injuries had healed to his satisfaction. One of the gifts the Triforce of Power had initially given him, next to virtual immortality, was the ability to recover from even the most grievous wounds with no more than a few days' sleep, and it had proven to be extremely useful during his long, battle-laden life. As long as something did not kill him, he would pretty much always be made whole again, and even if he was killed... well, there were ways. As long as one's body was not completely destroyed, the Triforce's power, even if it was only residual, could bring anyone back to life under the right circumstances. But being dead had that horrible disadvantage of taking control over your body away from you, so that you had to rely on others while being too dead to do anything. Certainly it had worked out before, but he would never rely on it. He preferred to be in control of his own fate.

He had mostly slept through the days of his recuperation, waking up only for short hours in order to eat. During those short hours he had done two things: He had told his monster army to assemble at the Triforce plain (Oh, the complaining! They did not like that place at all.) and await the arrival of their commander. The second thing was listening to the reports of his agents in Hyrule. At least those few that had survived. And he did not like what they had to say.

While the occasional quakes in the Dark Realm still continued, they had proven little more than a nuisance. Hyrule, on the other hand, was positively devastated by the quakes that tore the ground asunder, spewing fiery death, and rivers of lava obliterating the landscape and everything that did not flee their path. Most towns had been destroyed or evacuated, and the populace was living on the run, trying to reach the places that were safe. It appeared that Farore was quite capable of torturing the land and its people without her sisters, and she would continue as long as either she or Ganondorf were alive. He had begun feeling somehow responsible for the catastrophe, and tried to get up and assault the fiendish Goddess sooner, but he had not been strong enough for that, and he would just have been playing into her hands, doing exactly what she wanted him to do. So he took his time until his fighting abilities were fully restored, somewhat assured by the reports that several stable refugee camps had been established, the biggest of them being led by Princess Zelda herself (Ganondorf had been curiously happy hearing that she was still alive), who had risen up to the unenviable task of organizing the survivors rather adequately. The quakes had decreased in number and severity, which only at first glance seemed like a good thing; several of his agents reported that the quakes had "gone deeper," and that on occasion, a deep, disquieting rumbling could be heard from far beneath the earth. Was Farore trying to repeat what she and her sisters had done three thousand years ago? Was she trying to destroy the world?

Ganondorf swiftly approached the Triforce plain, dismissing his unhelpful worries about the Goddesses' plans. No matter what they were, the easiest and fastest way to foil them was to kill her, and he was going to that anyway, as fast as he reasonably could, so there was really no point in concerning himself with it. Right now, he had a war to fight.

He arrived at the large field that had once housed the Triforce, and beheld his army. A veritable variety of monsters had assembled, ranging from the big, strong and stupid to the small, smart and vicious. The piglike moblins wielding lances and halberds formed the core of the army, supported by robed, hovering spellcasters and thin, bow-slinging green creatures. Skeletal shocktroopers wearing long swords formed the vanguard, and many more monster types, some of which Ganondorf could not even recognize, supplemented the army. The monsters in the Dark Realm usually followed the strongest creature they could find, and sometimes crossed vast distances to join his forces. There were few among them who could truthfully be called smart; they were his officers, responsible for relaying his commands to the rest of the troops. These officers – most of them wizards for their intellect, but also several skeletons and even one moblin – had congregated at the back of the army, awaiting his arrival.

"Your forces stand ready, Lord Ganondorf," one of the wizards said. Gazzrag was his name, if he remembered correctly. "We are ready to move out at your command."

"Yes, and it better be soon!," a huge Skeleton with two barbed sabres interjected, "I want to break me some bones!"

"Don't speak out of line," the wizard admonished him. "And do not presume to tell Lord Ganondorf what to do."

"Yes, yes, whatever. I just want to go!"

His worries were unfounded, because Ganondorf did not take offence. He knew better than to expect his monsters to be respectful, as long as they were obedient.

"I will first open the way," he told them. "After that, I will give the command to move out."

"Very well, my lord. We will wait."

"With great impatience."

"Silence, you!"

He left them behind, flying into the sky, again seeking out the portal he had almost opened when Nayru's treacherous attack had struck him from behind. To his surprise, he could still feel the crack he had made on that day, having fully expected that Farore would somehow close it in an effort to keep him out. Maybe she had prepared a trap for him and felt confident?

Ganondorf shrugged, and proceeded to put magical pressure on the portal. With the groundwork laid three days ago, it proved to be rather easy, and and after barely a minute he had forced the portal open. A small vertical surface, shimmering in light blue, became visible, just barely big enough for him to pass through. Of course that would not do, as his monster army could not very well pass it in rank and file, so he used his power to widen it, so that a dozen of them might step through it at once. Pleased with himself, he bid his monsters to wait and stepped through the portal, having just decided to be his own scouting party.

The swirling images moving around him as he left this realm for another did not disorient him as they had used to, long ago, and he found himself on a large, silver plain, as though he was walking on the surface of clouds. The ground did not have the consistency of clouds, thankfully, but rather that of stone or marble, as his feet quickly attested. There were monumental structures visible in all directions: towers and statues and castles and palaces, some of them white as marble, others shimmering in all the colours of the rainbow. Before his feet a golden road stretched on a straight line all the way to the horizon, where the biggest structure of them all stood, a huge white pyramid, topped by a flat terrace and stairs leading up to it. It was from this structure that the voice came.

"So the foul sinner has found this place, ready to besmear it with his vile touch," Farore's voice thundered across the flat land. "Let it be known that the hosts of heaven shall bar his way, and that, should he ever make it to the Terrace of Light, the Goddess herself shall smite this blasphemous creature with all her might."

Her words were still echoing over the vast silver plain, when the ground began to stir, and to the right and left of the long road, slender, winged creatures slowly rose out of the earth. Each of them was as tall as Ganondorf or taller, wearing armour and all kinds of weapons, from swords to bows, from maces to lances. They rose up in perfectly symmetrical formations, all facing Ganondorf, none of them moving.

So Farore had decided to stay on the defence, which pleased Ganondorf. In the many wars he had fought and lost throughout his life, most had been lost because he had ceased his offence and waited for his enemies to come to him. It was an obvious choice for the side with superior forces, for the smaller the number of one's enemies, the easier they could evade him. But it was a bad choice, and Ganondorf would make Farore regret it.

He turned his back on the Celestial Realm and returned through the portal, his army already agitated because of his absence, but none of them able to follow them. That was a problem that had to be addressed, and so Ganondorf raised both of his hands, focusing his power on the soil of the Sacred Realm. Large-scale disruption like what Farore was doing in Hyrule was beyond his capabilities, but that was not his aim: He simply needed a way for his army to reach the portal. Huge chunks of soil piled up, rising toward the sky, and slowly, a large ramp as wide as the portal, emerged, opening a way into the sky. The monsters below cheered at their master, but did not move yet, for they had been commanded to wait.

"Heed me, my minions!" Ganondorf shouted. "In the past, you have only brought war to Hyrule, but no more." Several monsters complained, because they really _liked_ Hyrule, except for that terrible sun, but he simply drowned out their weak protests. "We have our eyes set on a far greater price now. Beyond this portal lies the Celestial Realm, where the last remaining Goddess hides behind the shields of her creatures. We will invade her realm and drive away her armies; we will burn down her castles and devastate her land, so that I can find her and kill her!"

More explanations were not necessary, nor would they have been appreciated. The monsters had heard the key words: Invade, burn, devastate, kill. They were ready to conquer the the Celestial Realm or die trying. They merely awaited his word, so he gave it.

"Ready your weapons, and follow in my wake. Today, we shall conquer heaven!"

The battle cries of ten thousand monsters, so very much like music, reached his ears, and his army came charging up the long ramp toward the portal. Ganondorf smiled in anticipation, passed through it before them, and led the assault.

* * *

Zelda and the two other men making up her party arrived at Lake Hylia, a mother and her three children following them, crossing the now-familiar golden bridge over the no-longer-boiling Lake Hylia toward the refugee camp which had grown quite a bit since the night she and the first band of fugitives had arrived here. Three days after that terrible night she still ventured out at least twice a day with a search party, trying to find more survivors, although their number was drying up: These four stragglers were the first ones they and the other parties had found the entire day. Zelda desperately hoped that hers was not the only camp of survivors, that others existed in Hyrule, that more of her people had survived. A scouting party had been sent out, on the backs of the few horses people had brought here, but there was no word from them yet, and the

They were welcomed warmly, her people always happy when the princess returned. The new arrivals even found a family member among the camp's denizens. Zelda went to the centre of the camp, sitting down on one of the makeshift benches someone had made by cutting fallen trees in half. Her feet were hurting badly, and she would probably have to skip the second search in the afternoon.

"There you are, your majesty," a familiar voice said. It belonged to Yura, the former chamberlain of Hyrule Castle, a stern, resolute woman who had turned up in her camp the day after the catastrophe and naturally assumed the role of Zelda's deputy during her absence. "How are your feet?"

"I can still walk, so they're fine." She would not betray a single sign of weakness before anyone safe maybe Link. Not out of pride, but because she had to be strong and seen as strong to lead her people during this crisis.

"But... you will take a rest during the afternoon, like I asked you to?"

"Maybe."

"Headstrong, aren't we? Well, you're the princess, you decide. How is it out there?"

Zelda sighed.

"Most of the lava streams have cooled, making getting around much easier. Less detours to make, so we could cover a wider range. The crevices still impede us, of course."

"And the quakes?"

"They're what concerns me, Yura. They're getting less frequent, but much worse when they happen. We saw an area of several square miles simply sink down into the ground, forming a huge hole so deep, we couldn't see the bottom! But we could hear sounds of the earth trembling down there. The quakes are moving down, and I fear that means the worst for our land."

"Damnation! It must be Ganon's work, there's no doubt about it. He's no longer content with ruling our land, now he wants to see it destroyed! The fiend has gone too far this time!"

Zelda stared at the ground, wondering for the hundredth time during the last three days whether she should tell anyone about Ganon and the Goddesses. And for the hundredth time, she decided against it. Keeping up the morale in the camp was already difficult; telling the people that two of the Goddesses they were praying two were dead, and the third one might be close to dying, which in turn might mean the end of the entire world... she dared not even think of their reactions.

"What are you and Link going to do about him, majesty?" Yura inquired. Zelda looked at her, startled. Ganon... he fell under her and Link's competence, did he not? Well, what _were _they going to do about him?

_I don't even know where he is right now_, she thought. _Nor what would happen if I knew. I may be a fool, but I still think he can be talked out of it..._

"I... am still thinking about that. There's just so much to do here... And I..."

She had no idea how to finish her sentence, so she was relieved when she saw Link walking up to them in the corner of her eye.

"Hey, Link, over here," she called unnecessarily. He was walking fast, looking very serious, even for his standards.

"Hello, Link," Yura said when he arrived, slightly moving away from him. Zelda could never quite shake the feeling that her chamberlain did not like Link. Or maybe she was just intimidated by him.

"Is something the matter, Link?"

He nodded and signalled her to follow him, fast. He rarely ever was forceful except during emergencies, so she got up immediately and let him lead her out of the camp, toward the island's shore.

"Hey, where do you're think you're taking her?" Yura was following them. "At least say something, damn it!"

"It's alright Yura," Zelda called back. "Let us alone, please." Link probably had not said anything because of Yura's presence. So it had to be something concerning Ganon and the Goddesses.

"He's having too much of an influence on you, you know," she said loudly, although she heeded Zelda's words and stopped.

Zelda chose not to have heard that last remark, and she and Link reached the shore. A cloaked figure was standing there, waiting for them.

"You brought her fast." A slightly rasped female voice. "Good to know I can always rely on you."

"Link, who is that?" Zelda asked.

"There is very little time for introduction, young princess," the woman said and threw back her hood, revealing an unblemished, perfectly symmetrical face that was all the same marred by grief. She had green eyes and green hair, and Zelda knew who she was before she said it.

"I am Farore, the Goddess of Courage. And I have need of you two."

To her own surprise, Zelda did not feel particularly awed or impressed, perhaps because Farore looked like an ordinary Hylian woman, except with a feint green glow.

"You need us to fight Ganon?"

"Not fight him." These words relieved Zelda, although it made her feel stupid. Ganon _had_ gone too far, and she should not still be thinking about talking to him! "If I defeat him, you won't have to do anything at all. You will only come with me if I fail."

"We should fight him only if you lose? But that's-"

"...not what I said. Now be a good girl and listen silently, like Link here."

Zelda did not appreciate being talked to like that, Goddess or not. But she was a princess, and from very early on she had taught herself to be restrained and polite even when it was not warranted, in order to avoid being seen as haughty. Maybe she had been overcompensating, though... Nevertheless, she remained silent, for now at least.

"If I fail, I want both of you to come with me into the Celestial Realm. I will take you there and back home afterwards. I'll need you to simply be there when Ganon arrives. You will not have to fight him at all, so there's no need to worry about your pretty skin."

_I'm not afraid of fighting him_, she wanted to burst out, but did not do it. _I just don't want to see any more needless deaths. His or yours._

"You have a plan?"

"Of course I do, but it may not work. You two are my contingency plan."

"So we just... wait?"

"Precisely. You two stay together, in one place, right here would be best. If I need you, I'll open a portal right in front of you, and you will step through. It will be perfectly safe. It I don't need you, I'll see you again later and notify you. Do you understand?"

Link looked at Zelda. She nodded, although she did not like to be left in the dark. Link nodded, as well.

"Excellent. Until then."

With a green flash, she was gone.

"Wait! What is happening to Hyrule? Can you stop it? Is it Ganon's fault?"

But Farore either could not hear her, or did not bother to return for an answer.

"That was just... I mean, couldn't she be more forthcoming? But then again, her sisters' deaths must have been hard on her." She looked at Link. "I don't know what she's planning, but... you remember your promise, right? You'll let me talk to him?"

Link looked back at her quizzically, as if slightly offended by her implication that he might somehow have forgotten his promise, or worse, not intended to keep it. Then he sighed and shook his head in mock-despair.

"Hey, don't make fun of me. I didn't mean it like that. I... oh forget it."

He sat down in the grass, motioning her to sit down as well.

"I can't do that, I'm afraid. You're having too much of an influence on me as it is."

He frowned, she laughed and sat down next to him, and he laughed as well. Then they both fell silent and just sat there, staring at the still lake, waiting for Farore to summon them, and thinking about what might happen then.

* * *

The war in heaven was going well, all things considered, and Ganondorf was pleased. It had taken his monsters a while – and numerous casualties – to break through the ranks of the silver guardians, but each fallen monster was immediately replaced by another one pushing – or being pushed – through the portal. The warriors of heaven were strong and durable, neither their skin nor armor easily pierced by his army's weapons, but they could be pierced, and that was really all that mattered. Apparently, Farore's ability to summon up defenders out of the ground of her realm was limited, for she did not conjure any more after the first wave. Effectively, Ganondorf's army was fighting a war of attrition, and given their superior numbers, they could only win. Ganondorf himself was at the forefront, naturally, cleaving guardians apart with the Champion's Sword that cut through their armor with little effort. He was leading his monsters down the golden road towards the pyramid, which he took to be the Terrace of Light where Farore must be hiding; so far, the the Goddess had not shown herself, letting her servants do all the fighting.

Ganondorf smelled smoke and looked around. Several smaller groups of his minions had been side-tracked off the road and were plundering and burning several of the buildings on either side. He thought about recalling them, but decided against it: After all, he had been the one to talk about ‚burning down' things, and besides that, it would not be a proper invasion without some pillaging. It was not like he needed them, that with reinforcements still pouring through the portal.

Somebody approached him from the side, making a semicircle so as to face him. After his encounter with Nayru, Ganondorf had made it clear to his officers that anyone who came up to him from behind would be killed without hesitation, and they abode by that command in their own interest. It was the wizzrobe Gazzrag, his second-in-command.

"Lord Ganondorf, the enemy forces have rallied at the large pyramid, as you predicted. They are blocking the staircase with their bodies. Your orders?"

Ganondorf wanted to clear them out himself, but chose to preserve his strength for the true battle that still lay ahead. "Wipe them out," he said simply, "and do it quickly."

"As you wish, my lord."

So Ganondorf contended himself with launching the occasional dark energy blast at the silver warriors while his monsters swarmed them, completely disregarding their own safety – a trait he valued highly in them. Many of them fell, but new ones took their place, and the silver knights had no reinforcements. One after the other was slain, each of them falling silently to the ground with not a hint of pain or regret on their expressionless faces. They were mere tools of their mistress, with no will of their own, and cutting them down was not particularly satisfying, Ganondorf mused. They were not even displaying a hint of fear or despair, even though their end was imminent.

_And now on to the main event_, he thought when the last of them fell. He approached the stairs, his monsters quickly moving out of his way and falling in line behind him.

"You stay right here," he order them. He did not want to have his victory over Farore tainted by swarming her. Then again, he could not foresee what would happen, and his encounters with the Goddesses hat been close before, so he had them stand ready to intervene at his command, in the unlikely case he needed backup. He climbed the stairs, breathing steadily, his body and mind ready for the final confrontation. When he was almost about to reach the top, he turned back one last time, overlooking the plains behind him, his hordes of monsters blackening the silver landscape like ants, and the smoke of burning buildings marring the starless sky. He smiled with satisfaction, and climbed the final steps of the stair, finally reaching the top.

The Terrace of Light was a perfect square, each side perhaps twenty metres long, its floor shining like polished white marble, yet not the least bit slippery. There were no additional defenders; in fact, the terrace was almost completely empty and featureless. Except for the three female figures at the opposite end, one of them sitting on an ornate throne, the others resting atop elevated pedestals behind the sides of the throne. Ganondorf crossed the distance between them with a few swift steps, and came to a halt five metres before them. Farore watched him every step on the way, her face expressionless; not in the same way the silver guardians had been, but forced, keeping her emotions under control. She wore armor that looked like leather, although it was surely much stronger than that, and held a long quarterstaff vertically in her right hand, planted on the ground not unlike a sceptre. The two bodies on the pedestals were, of course, Din's and Nayru's, looking as if they were only sleeping. Din's armor had been repaired, covering her deathwound, and Nayru's head had somehow been re-attached. Ganondorf paid the corpses no further attention and faced Farore.

Silently, the Goddess of Courage wave her left hand, and Ganondorf felt a strong magical barrier being erected back at the top of the stairs, cutting off the access for his monsters.

"Your foul creatures will not enter here, Ganon. We are alone now, just the two of us."

She looked down to him from her throne like a queen upon a supplicant.

"I have an offer I want you to consider."


	12. A Receptacle of Souls

**Chapter 12: A Receptacle of Souls**

It was a trap, of course, Ganondorf knew at once. There was no way someone like Farore would try to bargain with him, the killer of her sisters. Even if he ostensibly agreed to some kind of deal, she would have no guarantees that he would keep it, nor the other way round. She was merely trying to lure him into a false sense of security, then stab him in the back like her sister had done. And besides, what could she possibly have to offer him in return for letting her live?

"You are as treacherous as your sister," he said, drawing his sword. "I will have none of it. Prepare yourself."

But Farore did not move as he approached her throne, staring at him without expression. When he was almost within striking range, he felt a magical shield around her, and stopped. He probed it with an energy blast, but it was very strong; it would break only under a barrage of magic missiles.

"Your unwillingness to negotiate does not see me unprepared," Farore said. "I have taken great care in constructing this shield; it will occupy you for at least a minute. During that time, you will have no choice but to listen to my offer."

"How clever of you," Ganondorf snarled as he hit the shield with another blast, exploiting the power of his Triforce. "But you better talk fast, because it'll take me about half that long."

"I am Farore. I am chiefly known among your kind as the Goddess of Courage, but I am also a goddess of life. It was I who breathed life into this world after my sisters had done their work."

"After destroying all the old life! What was so grand about your creations that the Old People had to die for it?"

Farore shook her head in disappointment, as though she was talking to a young child who did not understand some very basic things. Her condescension infuriated Ganondorf, who redoubled his efforts to see the shield around her brought down.

"We are peaceful and generous Gods, and we made them an offer that would have preserved their lives, even improved them. They chose not to listen, and paid the prize. And you are about to repeat their mistakes. Anyway... as I said, it was me who created all the animals and people of Hyrule, and assigned them proper lands to dwell in."

Ganondorf sent another volley of energy orbs at the shield, which in turn began to flicker. He was weakening it, fueled by the power of the Triforce as well as his own anger at Farore's words.

"If you're trying to dissuade me, you're doing it wrong. If what you said is true, that makes you the main culprit of the crimes against my people. Why did you place them into a lifeless desert, while the other races got their grasslands and rivers and mountains? Did you have any reasons, or was it just arbitrary cruelty?"

"It was merely completing my sisters' work! Din created all the different environments of this world, including the desert you were born in, and Nayru dictated the law that each of them must be populated by a race of its own, for the sake of balance. It fell on my shoulders to create such a race, and so I shaped the Gerudo, hoping they would be hardy and resilient enough to thrive. As you well know, my hopes were misplaced."

"So you blame them for their own weakness? Because they could not cut it in the cruel environment your insane sisters made for them?" Ganondorf focused on another blast, which would be the one to bring the shield down. "If I'd had any doubts about my actions against you, they'd be dispelled by now. Creatures like you simply deserve to die!"

His energy blast hit the weakened shield, and it collapsed as he had predicted. In an instant, he drew the Champion's Sword from his scabbard and brought it down on Farore, but the Goddess deftly parried his strike with her quarterstaff.

"You talked too slow, wretch," Ganondorf said. "I didn't even get to hear your marvellous offer."

"That's because you kept interrupting me. You have no sense of proper respect! Regardless," she reflected another blow of his, clearly adept at using her staff as more than a sceptre, "here it comes, so sit down and listen."

She countered his last strike with a series of quick jabs at his chest, then abruptly used the staff's other end for a low sweep, going for his legs. Ganondorf just barely jumped back, but lost his balance, staggering back a step and landed clumsily on his backside. He immediately raised his sword horizontally above his head to fend off another strike, but Farore did not follow up, but chose to make her offer.

"I was the one who gave life to your race – and I have the power to give them back that life! Desist in your futile struggles, Ganon, and I shall bring back the spirits of your people from their graves, and reunite them with their restored bodies! I will drive the Hylians from the lands you so coveted, and give them to you and the Gerudo, so that you may rule over them as their king once again, and lead them into a future of prosperity! All I ask in return is that you and your army leave the Celestial Realm and never come back!"

Ganondorf snorted. Surely, she did not expect him to fall for such a phony offer?

"Oh, we will leave it – after I kill you!"

He rose to his feet, unhindered by Farore, and charged at her again, and again she parried, his sword not even leaving a mark on her sturdy quarterstaff.

"So you show your true colours, Ganon! You never cared about the welfare of your people at all! It was all about revenge, all about yourself, all the time! You say we do not care about the lives of mortals? It seems you were an excellent student! Every bit as bad as you think we are – the perfect hypocrite."

She had a semblance of a point there, Ganondorf had to admit. For a moment, he ceased his attacks, but he did not let his guard down.

"You're lying. You don't even have the ability to bring them back!"

"Aren't we skeptical... very well, let me show you them!"

Farore spread out her arms, her palms facing upward, her staff floating between her and Ganondorf, giving her a mere modicum of protection. The better part of himself wanted to take the opportunity to cut her down, but curiousity and something akin to hope had gripped him, and so he watched. Bright light enveloped her hands, and small golden orbs detached themselves from her fingertips. They hovered in the air, then sank toward the ground between her and Ganondorf, transforming into pillars of golden light, each about as high and wide as himself. Farore murmured an incomprehensible incantation, and shadows appeared within the pillars, amorphous and with no clear outlines at first, but quickly assuming a human shape. After perhaps a minute they were clearly recognizable as females, and the golden pillars vanished, revealing that which had been inside much like a cocoon.

Unable to mask his surprise, Ganondorf gasped. Ten Gerudo were standing in front of him, their long red hair bound back in ponytails, their muscular bodies tanned like his own, most of them armed with twin sabres, the weapon of choice of his tribe. They all looked at him, smiling happily, and knelt down.

"My lord," the one closest to him said, her big, brown eyes slightly downcast. "How we have been waiting to see you. We ask that you would lead us again, to assume your proper place as the Gerudo King."

"What... what is your name?" Ganondorf could not help but stutter, but right now, he did not care. He seemed to recall her face...

"I am called Nataari. I was in charge of the watchpost in Gerudo Valley. Do you recognize me, my lord?"

Nataari... That name rang true, and she had the face to match it. Ganondorf touched her cheek, half dreading, half hoping that it would ripple as his fingers passed through, that it was only an elaborate deception. But her flesh was as solid as his own, her skin smooth as silk.

"This is just a foretaste of what I can do, Ganon!" Farore called, her voice sweet with promises. "I can resurrect them all, the young ones and old ones, even the ancient witches that raised you! What do you say? You could forsake your brutish monsters and live among your own kind again! No longer a King of Evil, but the Gerudo King, as you used to be! Is that not worth giving up your vengeance for?"

He stroke Nataari's cheek again, the woman clearly pleased by her king's affection. Her skin was so soft, unravaged by the cruel touch of sand and wind, her hair smooth and straight, not at all rough or tangled, like he remembered it.

Not at all like he remembered it...

He violently pushed the woman's face away, sending her sprawling onto her back. She moaned in pain, and the other women gasped. Farore, too, was startled, looking at him with growing disquiet.

"Excellent imitations," he said. "They managed to fool me for a moment. But you forgot how the desert treated their bodies – or maybe you never cared enough to know. You've made them too beautiful. Did you not think I wouldn't notice? If not now, then later? How desperate you must have been!"

Farore flinched, her nervous face betraying her racing heart and frantic thoughts.

"You're right," she said, and waved the women out of existence with a single gesture, not even smoke or dust testifying that they had been there a moment ago. "They weren't real. Resurrecting them couldn't be done this fast, and I needed something to convince you. But I can do it! I just need more time to prepare!"

"You're lying!" Ganondorf barked at her. "I know a thing or two about resurrection, from firsthand experience! I know that it requires a body, or at least bones or ashes. No one can create something from nothing, not even you, or you would not have destroyed the old world to use it as building materials!"

"But I can-"

"Shut up! Didn't you think that attempting to bring them back was the first thing on my mind when I returned to the desert for the first time? I tried with all my might, using all my power, and the power of your precious Triforce to boot, but it did not work, it could not work! Their bodies had become bones, and the bones were turned to dust, and the dust mixed with the sand, and the sand was carried away by the wind – there is nothing left of my people, nothing at all, that you or anyone could ressurrect! So stop wasting the last minutes of your life with these pathetic tricks and fight!"

A look of determination came over Farore's face, replacing nervousness.

"So be it, then," she said calmly. "You choose to reject my generosity. I would have killed you, naturally – there can be no negotiations with scum like you – but you could have died surrounded by your people, after a few final moments of happiness. But perhaps it is better this way, for you do not even deserve such mercy!"

Ganondorf had enough of her talking, and decided to cut her down. But when he reached her, she had erected another magical shield around her, and his strike was deflected.

"Why are you stalling for time?," he asked, pounding the shield with his magic. "You power is not unlimited! Already this shield is much weaker than the first, and you cannot keep it up forever."

"It need not be forever," she answered. "Just enough time to execute my contingency plan..." She gestured, and a magical portal appeared right next to her.

"The time is now," she shouted, apparently to whoever was waiting on the other side. "Come to my side at once!"

Ganondorf had no time to think about who might cross through the portal, although he took a few steps back so he would not be within their range. But he was not surprised when he saw the two: Link, Master Sword and shield ready, and Zelda, her royal dress little more than rags. Both were disoriented for a moment, then they saw Farore. And then they saw him, and both grew tense immediately.

"Put that away," Farore said, pointing at the Master Sword in Link's hand. "I told you, you're not here to fight."

That remark surprised Ganondorf, who had thought that Farore had brought in the two as reinforcements, unwilling to fight him alone.

"Ganon, listen to me!" Zelda's voice sounded oddly pleading, so he even forgot to correct her in regards to his name.

"Stop this, please! You are destroying Hyrule! You can't want that! You swore-"

"Silence!" Farore shouted. Zelda seemed to bite back a remark, deciding against it. "You two should learn to know your place! You're not supposed to fight with him _or _talk to him. Although things would be easier if you stood right _next _to him!"

She waved her arms in a forceful gesture, and a sudden gust of wind seized Zelda and Link and sent them tumbling into Ganondorf. He kept his balance, and as soon as the two regained theirs, they awkwardly tried to move away from him. But before they could put some distance between themselves and him, Farore raised her right arm, her palm stretched out toward them. Ganondorf felt a strange pull at his right hand – and realized in terror what she was trying to do.

His Triforce mark was shining brighter than ever, since it was so very close to its counterparts in Zelda's and Link's bodies. And it felt like it was about to burst right out of his hand.

"I'm taking back that which is rightfully mine! Far too long has this repository of our power remained in mortal hands, enabling them to do all kinds of mischief! I will finally put it to its proper use!"

Not even thinking about what she could mean by that, Ganondorf pressed his left hand on his right, desperately trying to keep the Triforce where it was, and he saw Link and Zelda do the same thing. But the pull exerted by its rightful owner was too strong, and with the sound of something bursting, the golden triangles left the three, soaring toward Farore's palm. A terrible feeling of weakness overcame Ganondorf: Surely, he still had his own formidable, innate power, but the power the Gods was his no longer. Zelda seemed to be similarly affected, while Link did not seem to care much, eyeing Ganondorf with great distrust. The Triforce parts assembled before Farore's hand, re-forming into one.

"No," Ganondorf moaned weakly. "It is mine... mine!"

But he could not command it back, so his best course of action was a frontal attack. But he did not know if he even had the strength for that now, and besides, Link and Zelda were right next to him, and he did not want to turn his back towards them.

"Have none of you ever wondered why we chose to leave a portion of our power in this world? Why we left it in the reach of you pathetic mortals, greedy to take its power for your own?" Farore seemed to expect an answer, and Zelda gave one.

"To show your love for the people you created! As a symbol that you would watch out for this world!"

"That's what you wanted to believe! I hate to shatter your delusions, girl, but it was something you Hylians came up with on your own! No, the fact that mortals could even access and use its power was nothing but an unintended side effect! The Triforce was never intended to be a receptacle for our power, but a receptacle for our souls!"

"What?" Ganondorf did not like where this was going. Not at all.

"When we created this land, we had just fought a war, and although we wiped out our enemies, we suffered some wounds. It reminded us that, even though we were Gods, we were also mortal. So we decided to each take a part of our souls and lock it safely away in a repository, so that if death were ever claim one of us, another could use it to restore her soul to her body. But we found that we could not keep it near us, because our proximity was detrimental to its stability. Knowing that mortals could at worst misplace it, but never destroy it, we simply left it behind in the Sacred Realm, knowing that we could easily bring it back when we needed it. As I just did."

"An interesting story," Ganondorf said, putting on hollow bravado and hating himself for it. "But there's just one part that isn't believable: The part about you having souls."

Farore raised an eyebrow. "Oh my, humour. I am slain."

"If only..."

"But really, Ganon, you of all people should know that I'm right! After all, you have been abusing the true purpose of the Triforce for your own end, without even knowing about it."

"What do you mean?"

"When you first touched it thousands of years ago, your fear of death was strong enough to access the Triforce's main function, and a part of your soul was stored at the tip of the Triforce of Power. That upset us, naturally, but the part of Din's soul seemed safely separated from yours, and uncompromised. So we chose to simply let it be, and watch your deaths and resurrections over the ages with growing amusement. You were our jester, Ganon, as well as our guinea pig, for in you we could observe that the Triforce indeed worked as we had intended! But now you have outlived both of your purposes, and will be discarded."

"Just try!"

"Oh, I will, in a moment. You see, before I resurrect my sisters, I'm going to take that piece of your soul, and crush it."

She touched the part of the Triforce that used to be the Triforce of Power, and a small, purple sphere exited it. She put the sphere between her thumb and index finger, and smiled evilly at Ganondorf. He jumped at her, but another shield, this time shimmering golden, repelled him, and he fell on his back, quickly getting back to his feet.

"What a frail thing a soul is, don't you agree, Ganon? Just a tiny bit of pressure, and..."

She pressed down hard. The orb shattered like a marble between hammer and anvil, diffusing into countless small fragments, all of them vanishing after a few seconds. To his relief, Ganondorf did not feel anything, but he knew the consequences of what had just happened.

"Say goodbye to your immortality," Farore gloated.

Frustrated, he hit the magic barrier protecting her, with his fists, availing nothing. Zelda and Link looked shocked, although there might have been the tiniest hint of satisfaction on Link's face. If it was there, Ganondorf could not begrudge him for it.

"But you will lose your immortality too, once you use it up!"

"Don't be silly. There's nothing to stop us from creating a new one, once we've dealt with you. Splitting a small part of your soul is very simple, and can be done repeatedly, without harm – as your history proves."

„So you were just faking, all along? You weren't really grieving at all, because you knew you could bring them back? Your falsehood knows no bounds."

Farore seemed to lose focus for a moment, perhaps recalling the moments of her sisters's deaths.

„No... it wasn't like that... I was truly devastated. Of course I knew, but... I couldn't be sure... can't be sure until I actually do it... and do it I will." She became stern again.

„So now, to destroy the Triforce..." She conjured up a heavy mallet, its head as big as the Triforce itself, repeatedly and unnecessarily taking aim, mocking him.

Ganondorf had to put a stop to this right now, or all his efforts in defeating Farore's sisters would have been for nothing. He stopped punching the barrier – no time to lose control of oneself – and hit it with the most powerful magic attack he could muster. It weakened, but held. Desperately, he turned to Zelda. "Help me!" he said, surprised how easily the words came over his lips. But Zelda simply looked at him in shock, and shook her head.

Useless, he thought, and continued battering the barrier with his diminished powers. Then he thought about trying to cut it with the Champion's Sword – but by that time, it was already too late. Farore had brought down the hammer on the Triforce, and with the sound of a thousand shattering mirrors, it burst into pieces. Three coloured orbs emerged from the fragments, no doubt the soul fragments of the Goddesses. Farore's body absorbed the green orb, without effect, as she was still alive. The blue and red orbs flew toward the corpses of Din and Nayru, protected by the golden barrier, and Ganondorf could do nothing to stop them. They entered the bodies through the chest, and without even the smallest delay, the spark of life returned to the two. They opened their eyes, disoriented for seconds at most, and got up from their pedestals. Din raced towards Farore, embracing her furiously, while Nayru simply stood next to them, looking satisfied.

"Thank you, sister! Thank you thank you thank you! I am too young to die, after all!"

"Allow me to express my gratitude, as well, sister. Your forethought of securing our bodies has proven to be very prudent."

Farore herself had tears of joy rolling down her cheeks, forced the reluctant Nayru into a hug and smiled.

"You would have done the same for me. Just never go and leave me all alone again, all right?"

In their joy about their reunification, the three seemed to have wholly forgotten about Ganondorf and the others. The golden barrier had dissipated completely, its power gone along with the Triforce. Right now, he was frustrated, and angry, and that gave him courage. He was not sure how long it would last, so he had to act fast.

"I can see now that separating the three of you was unnecessarily cruel of me," he said, making a step towards the Goddesses, his sword ready. "This time I will give you no opportunity for grief by killing you all at once!"

Only now did the three seem to take notice of him. Din looked at him with great fury, and summoned a new pair of flaming swords, though she knew better than to go alone.

"Don't think I can't remember everything, you foul imp! You will pay for... for killing me!"

Nayru and Farore faced him as well. Nayru's hands were glowing with energy, ready to unleash deadly magics on him, and Farore had picked up her quarterstaff and seemed at last ready to fight.

"No rushing in this time, you understand?"

"Totally. I'm not making the same mistake twice!"

"We will exterminate you now, Ganon, and this time, death will be final."

"So will be yours, if I kill you now."

"Yeah right," Din snorted. "Like you'll win against all of us. And without the Triforce."

"But I never really needed it. All I need to kill you are my skills and my sword."

He recognized that he was being optimistic to the point of arrogance, but there was no turning back now. If he let them get away, they would create a new Triforce to store their souls in, a feat he could not hope to replicate, and they would be forever unkillable, while he needed only to slip up once, and it would be all over for him. This would be the last time the four of them were equally vulnerable.

"Time to end this, then," he said, more to himself than anyone else, and started to move.

But before he could rush his enemies, or they rush him, Zelda, who had been watching the events unfold with Link from the background, rushed in and threw herself between Ganondorf and the Goddesses, blocking their paths.

"Hold it! All of you!" she shouted, her commanding voice freezing the would-be fighters in their tracks. Aghast, Link came in running behind her, desperately trying to pull her back, but she resolutely shook off his hands, so that all he could do was stand next to her, somewhat dumbfounded.

"I'm going to talk now, and whosoever wants to fight the other will have to kill me first!"

Both Ganondorf and the Goddesses were suitably taken aback by her sudden action, and, for the moment, did not move.

And Zelda talked.


	13. Words and Actions

**Chapter 13: Words and Actions**

"I'm sick and tired of your grandstanding words about vengeance and punishment and justice! Do you honestly think you're going to intimidate each other with this sort of hollow chest-beating? Of course not! All of you are locked on your course, and no one is going to stand down because the other side impressed them! So why are you doing this at all? I can tell you!"

Ganondorf did not know what to make of Zelda's words, and he did not particularly feel like listening to them, but she was standing between him and his opponents, and he had sworn never to harm her. Of course he could try to go around or above her, but that would put her in harm's way, as well, to be hit by a magic missile or otherwise injured. So he decided to let her continue, for now, hoping that after she had had her say, she would retreat. The Goddesses seemed to think so, too, for they did not try to reach him, either.

"You're doing this in order to hide your pain, not just from your enemies, but also from yourselves – especially from yourselves! To work yourselves into a rage, so you can continue this senseless fighting without thinking about what you might lose, what you've already lost! Maybe you're fooling yourselves, but you can't fool me! I've seen your tears of joy when you were reunited with your sisters, Farore, and I've heard the grief in your voice when you talked to me! And Ganondorf, you spoke about your people, about the injustice done to them – don't you think I didn't realize how much you were hurting? No matter how this ends, there will only be more pain, for both sides! So stop telling yourselves that you're cold-blooded killers and that you aren't suffering, because it's wrong, and you know it!"

"Ridiculous," Farore said indignantly. "Justice must be done. Ganon must be punished. These facts are not less true just because you're overly empathetic! And besides, the only one who will feel pain is him. Or do you think we will lose against him?"

"We'll see about that," Ganondorf growled, hoping Zelda would simply get out of his way soon. But instead she turned around and glared at him, letting him have his fair share of her verbal outburst.

"They are right, you know that, Ganon! You're not exactly in a favourable position here, outnumbered as you are! So bury your pain and hatred before someone has to bury you!"

"We gerudo used to burn our dead."

"Don't try to be clever with me!"

"Oh, but I'm not. You see, you misunderstand my motives. I have forsworn my quest for vengeance for the Gerudo. I now fight for the sake of the victims of a far greater crime, the people whose world these fiends destroyed because they wanted to play gods! Even if they numbered only one, I would still fight for that one man."

Zelda sighed.

"It doesn't matter why you're doing it, don't you understand? If you lose, you die – you can't want that, you're not that insane. And if you win... what do you think will happen to Hyrule? I'm hoping with all my heart that the resurrection of the Goddesses you killed has stopped the quakes and tremors that are torturing my people – would you do this to them all over again? And more than that: If you kill all of them, the entire world may be destroyed! Is that truly what you want?"

"Ha! Now you don't know what you're talking about! You think the Goddesses are connected to this world, and that its welfare is connected to theirs?"

"It's obvious! Why else would Hyrule-"

"Because they knew! They knew about my oath never to harm your land again, and they tried to pressure me into desisting by unleashing catastrophe on Hyrule! How noble of your Goddesses!"

"That... that can't be true!" She turned around and faced the Goddesses, a pleading tone in her voice. "Tell me that's not true."

"Of course it is not true," Nayru replied. "Our commitment to Hyrule's welfare remains unshaken and unsurpassed, regardless of circumstances. And what proof would he present for his outlandish claims, anyway?"

"That's right," Din seconded. "He has no proof at all! And why should you believe him over us? He's the monster that has terrorized your country for ages!"

"I... I often know when people lie to me, but perhaps..."

"You would believe him over us, because of a feeling?" Farore asked. "And besides, if he was telling the truth, we would be the ones lying! So what do you feel in regards to that?"

"I don't know... I can't tell. Maybe... maybe my talent doesn't work with gods? I just don't know whom to believe!"

Ganondorf did not bother arguing the case further. He had no proof to offer Zelda, and she would not believe his claims otherwise. There were no words of his that would change her mind. Of course that meant that she and most likely Link would stand against him in the coming fight – and that would be quite a problem...

Before Ganondorf could decide on any course of action, or Zelda make up her mind about whom to believe, the Champion's Sword suddenly twitched in his hand. That startled him, and he immediately suspected treachery by the Goddesses, that they were trying to disarm him using their magic. But the sword did not move away from him; it simply rose up, dragging his arm up to his chest, then was still. Zelda noticed it and her face grew weary, and if Link had not already been eyeing him with distrust, he would have started now. The Goddesses, too, seemed surprised, indicating that they had nothing to do with what was happening. A small pillar of smoke rose from the sword's tip, clustering to a small cloud that sank to the terrace's white floor, slowly taking the shape of a child.

Or a small man.

With a popping sound, Dolvin appeared before him, looking exactly like the last time he had seen him, departing his home in the far-away jungle. Without apparent disorientation, he gave Ganondorf a short bow (which he did not reciprocate, surprised as he was) and marched towards Zelda and Link, who eyed him with curiosity, but without fear or distrust. The Goddesses did not seem to recognize him at first, until realization overcame Din.

"You! You worthless little midget, didn't we tell you never to cross our paths again? You will pay for this!"

But before she could do anything that would harm the dwarf, her sisters held her back, whispering in her ear. Surely, they did not fear the old man, but they had to know that Zelda would be more than a little dismayed at them if they killed this new arrival without a good reason, and they did not seem to want her as their enemy. Dolvin, in turn, completely ignored them, not even heeding them with a glance, which had to require enormous self-discipline, considering their past.

"Dolvin!" Ganondorf found his voice. "What are you doing here?"

The old dwarf turned around, a sly smile on his face.

"I observed your progress through the sword, son, and I was most impressed by your achievements! But right now, I think that I can do something for you. Something you can't do yourself."

"But how did you get here?"

"Just as I can use any of my creations to observe what is going on around them, I can, in emergencies, use them as an anchor to teleport myself to them. It is a draining process, and it cannot be repeated often, but," he winked as he turned back to Zelda and Link, "it's certainly convenient."

"Son...?" Zelda asked. "You mean, you are his-"

"Oh, no," Dolvin laughed, shaking his head. "I only made young Ganondorf's acquaintance recently. My name is Dolvin, of the Old People, and I presume you are the crown princess of Hyrule?"

"Yes. I am."

Dolvin stretched his small body, trying to get a closer look at her face, but of course she was too tall for him.

"Young lady, would you mind, for a second...?"

Zelda seemed confused, but humoured the old man, hunkering down before him. Dolvin brushed away her unkempt hair and inspected the golden earrings, shaped like the Triforce, that she was wearing. He nodded, content with what he had found, and bade her rise again.

"Very good, you are wearing them. I would recognize Torkas's handiwork anywhere! These earrings may yet save your live today, young princess."

He disregarded her, then, and turned his attention to Link, and the Master Sword in his left hand. Ganondorf could not see his face, but he suspected a look of pride there, like that of a father who met a child that was now grown up and had made a name for itself.

"Ah, the Master Sword," he sighed happily. "My finest creation, certainly, safe perhaps one... not that I would rank my works, goodness! I trust you're taking good care of it, boy?" He looked at Link for several seconds. "Damn, I could've sworn I know you from somewhere. Have we met?"

Link did not answer, and Dolvin shrugged, once again addressing Zelda.

"I am here, princess, to set some things straight. To tell the truth, to illuminate you about the nature of these fiends... all in due briefness, of course, as none of you has any time to waste."

"Stop right there," Din suddenly bellowed at the dwarf. "One more word, and I'll make sure you'll never open your mouth again!"

Ganondorf wanted to jump in to protect Dolvin from the Goddess's wrath, but to his surprise, Link stepped in before he could, positioning himself between Dolvin and the Goddesses. Ganondorf smirked. Of course, the do-gooder would not let an old man come to harm. Or was there another reason?

Dolvin again ignored Din, who in turn was being whispered to by her sisters, and spoke to Zelda.

"To make a long story short, I am here to back up young Ganondorf's words, for I know these fiends better than anyone alive. My people and I used to live in the old world, before this one was created, and we had to witness the arrival of the fiends, and how they tore our world apart, thwarting our efforts to stop them! They used the remains of our world to 'create' yours, and the few survivors of my kind were scattered all over the lands. You look learned, in spite of your young age. Surely you have read about the old world?"

"Yes," Zelda answered, confused. "But... only vague hints in old legends. Many scholars think they're the products of mistranslation, that there never was an old world..."

"I swear to you, there was, and I am perhaps its last living denizen. And I am here to tell you, that as sure as these Archfiends here destroyed my world three thousand years ago, they are the ones who have devastated your land, and they may yet destroy this world of theirs as well!"

"So it's true," Zelda said, without a hint of emotion in her voice. "You did it?"

"Preposterous!" Farore laughed. "One liar, two liars – what difference does it make? Has this dwarf brought you any shred of proof?"

She shook her head, slowly.

"No, he didn't."

"Proof?" Dolvin asked in amazement. "When I was young, we didn't need proof! A man was taken by his word, and woe to him if he went back on it! I have no proof to offer to you, princess, for there is nothing of our world that remains except me, and the metal in the items we crafted. I have only my word... the word of the Master Smith. If that's not enough for you, then I have come here for nothing."

"The Master Smith?" Zelda asked, surprised. "You mean to tell me that you... are him?"

"But of course" Dolvin replied. "Didn't I mention it?"

"No, you didn't! But if it's true... they said the Master Smith was as old as the world... perhaps older. That would lend your story a lot of credence."

"Would? I take it you'll demand proof that I am who I claim to be, young lady?"

"I'm afraid I have to."

But before Dolvin could start rambling again about how his word should be enough, Link hunkered down before him, staring at his face. Dolvin seemed slightly unsettled for a moment, but then looked back at him in turn, as though he, too, saw something in Link that he recognized... and Ganondorf remembered him making a remark about that just a few minutes ago.

"Do I know you? Talk to me, boy! I know I remember your face..." He drifted off, lost in thought, for the first time really focusing on Link, trying to remember. And he succeeded.

"Of course!" he said, almost shouting. "You... you look just like the knight that came to me, for whom I made the Master Sword! He wore similar green clothes over his mail – no offence intended, boy, but it's not exactly the height of fashion – and he had your face... what was his name again... Link... yes, Link! But it can't be you... can it?"

Link, too, seemed to recognize the old man, and looked earnestly at Zelda.

"Link," she said, "I know you remember things... all the way back.. so he was one of your ancestors, too? The knight whose name was never recorded? And you remember this man... as the Master Smith?"

"Of course," Ganondorf said, finally realizing the meaning behind this scene. "It makes sense. I used to think the boy from the forest was the first one. But it was him... the knight who fought the renegade prince. The first in the chain of Links..."

"Well, I don't really get how you can still be alive, or whatever, but that doesn't really matter now! Surely, you can vouch for me, boy?"

Link nodded resolutely, not a hint of doubt on his face.

"If Link believes him," Zelda said, turning to the three Goddesses who had been watching the scene with increasing irritation and disquiet, "then I believe him. And that means..."

Fury overcame her usually tranquil features (which looked very becoming, as far as Ganondorf was concerned), and she shouted at the three.

"You really did it. You ravaged Hyrule and killed I don't even know how many of my people! Why? To save your own skin? To put pressure on Ganon, all for your own sake? What kind of selfish creatures ARE you, that the only way you could save yourself came at the cost of my people's lives? Where was your power, your wisdom, your courage?"

"Nothing has been proven," Nayru insisted, her voice as cold as ever, "and you cannot-"

"Spare me your flimsy excuses! I know now what to believe, and I know now that you are Hyrule's declared enemies! And I will never allow you to harm any of my people again, even if it means that I have to fight you!"

"You ruined it all, you damn midget!"

Din jumped forward, drawing her flaming swords with terrifying speed. She rushed towards Dolvin, shoving Link who had his back turned to her out of her way, and before Ganondorf or anyone else had time to react, stabbed the dwarf's small chest with her blades. Dolvin could not even so much as scream in pain, for the flames of the swords consumed his entire body like a firestorm, leaving not even ashes behind. Ganondorf did not want to believe it, but he could not deny reality: Dolvin was gone, without a trace, without any last words. He wanted to shout in rage, to attack them and take revenge for his friend... but had he not decided not to fight for revenge anymore? Revenge would not bring him back, either. So what was he going to do now?

"So you show your true colours, you fiends," Zelda said, no longer shouting, but with terrifying calmness. "If I had needed any additional proof that he was telling the truth, this would have been it. You would shirk no foul deed to save your own hides."

"Enough of this," Farore snapped, while Nayru pulled Din back to her. "And enough of your rebellious talk! Ganon's fate is sealed no matter what he does, but you two can still save yourselves! Kneel before us and beg for mercy, and we may yet spare you – and your world!"

"You are deluding yourself. Make no mistake – I would gladly bear any humiliation to save this world. But I know now that nothing you say can be trusted, that if you really are gods, you are gods of lies and deceit, and that the only way to make the world safe from you forever is to destroy you, here and now!"

"Oh my," Farore smiled wryly. "Are you trying to intimidate us with your hollow chest-beating? Your grandstanding about punishment and justice? I knew you were a hypocrite, Zelda. Thank you for proving it to me."

"I don't care what you think about me!" Her voice rose again, taking on a regal tone that pierced the haze of despair that had settled around Ganondorf. "I didn't know what you were, back then. But know I do, and I will act on it! I will fight you, all of you, to defend my people's lives! That is my task as protector of Hyrule!"

Her entire worldview might have been shattered here today, but still she stood her ground and continued the only fight she knew to fight. Ganondorf could not help but be impressed... and, perhaps, inspired.

"I expected no less from you, traitor princess," Farore replied. "But what about you, Link? Will you follow this fool down the path of self-destruction, or will you do the wise thing and obey our orders – as you always do?"

Clearly, she was expecting Link to take her side, and thus was all the more shocked when he resumed his position at Zelda's left side, pointing his sword at her direction, his face as angry and determined as Ganondorf had ever seen.

"Link," Zelda said softly, "you mustn't do this for my sake, you understand? If you join me in this fight, it must be because you want it. Otherwise, I won't allow it!"

Link gave no reply, although Ganondorf thought he saw him roll his eyes slightly, as tough he took offence at the suggestion that he needed any particular reason to save the world, except that it needed saving. Zelda saw it, too, and allowed herself a short chuckle.

"If even our most loyal servant betrays us," Farore said hoarsely, "then maybe this world has run its course. We truly should destroy it, and shape it again, so that nothing remains of these rebellious ingrates." Her eyes left the two young Hylians, and focused on Ganondorf, who was still standing a couple of metres away from them.

"Oh, Ganon, you're still here! With all these regrettable turns of events, I would've expected you to try and make your exit. After all, the one reason you said you were fighting for is dead. So why are you still here? Will you fight for this dead man? For revenge, like you used to? Ha! You were always such a walking cliche!"

But her words had no effect on Ganondorf. So they had taken away his reason to fight, so what? He would simply find a new one. And he knew where to find it. The two youths who were already facing down his enemies had shown him. He walked toward them, taking position at Zelda's right side, and pointed the Champion's Sword at his enemies.

"If you really care to know... I will fight for everybody. Not just in Hyrule, but the whole world! For all those who would be killed if you were to destroy it out of sheer spite, for all those whose lives you couldn't care less about as long as you get to play gods again! I have fought for the dead long enough; it is high about time I fought for the living! Have at you!"


	14. Victory or Death

**Chapter 14: Victory or Death**

Din was the first out of the gate, as per Ganondorf's expectations, charging at him with her swords held high. He took several quick steps sidewards to lead her away from Zelda and Link (and to give himself some room for maneuvering) and parried her first strikes. Curious what his newfound allies were doing, he dared a brief glance to his left: Zelda stood where she had been, her hands glowing blue, her eyes closed, obviously casting a complicated spell. Link had planted himself in front of her, shielding her from Farore, who launched herself at him, bringing her quarterstaff down hard on his shield. Nayru did not take any offensive action; instead, she simply flew up into the air, addressing her sisters.

"I recommend immediate retreat. We must create a new Triforce and deposit parts of our souls. Only then can we dare any engagements."

"How cowardly!" Din growled while hacking away at Ganondorf, who stood his ground. "Are you afraid we're going to lose?"

"The probability is low, but there is no tolerance for error. Any mistake might be fatal... and permanent. Farore, do you at least see reason?"

"Oh come on, now!" her sister snorted, trying to find a gap in Link's defences. "You're overdoing your caution. They can't defeat us while we're together. Now come down here and help us!"

Nayru shook her head.

"I will not risk my life because of your audacity. But I wish you luck, my sisters. Until we meet again... hopefully."

She took off towards the featureless sky, but she did not get very far before she collided with an invisible barrier spanning the terrace, sending blue sparks flying in all directions and almost causing her to crash down before she regained her balance. Ganondorf saw Zelda open her eyes again, and smile with grim satisfaction.

"You're not going to get away," she said, rising into the air as well. "This barrier will keep you here, where we can destroy you."

Nayru seemed visibly dismayed, which was probably as close to fear or rage as she was ever going to get.

"I must agree with you, Farore," she said, and her hands began to glow with a blue radiance. "This world desperately needs to be re-created. We shall dismantle it as soon as we have dealt with these pests."

She rose her hands above her head and launched a bolt of ice toward Zelda. The princess answered with a fireball of her own, and the two missiles collided in mid-air, consuming each other. They seemed to be evenly matched, Ganondorf found. The earrings made from the old world's metal were imbuing Zelda's magic with the power to overcome the Goddesses, and with his sword and the Master Sword, the three of them stood a fair chance of winning.

Regrettably, he could no longer divert any of his attention to his compatriots, as Din was bearing down on him with increasing strength and speed. He had no intention of being forced into a defensive stance, which was usually the first step on the path to defeat, and so he countered her series of blows with a heavy thrust of his own. She managed to parry it with one sword, but the force sent her spinning to her right side, and Ganondorf followed up immediately, ramming his shoulder into her exposed back. Din staggered, but did not fall, and blindly swung her second sword in an arc behind her, forcing him to step back quickly.

"Very good," she said as she turned to face him again. "You're not selling your worthless life cheaply."

Before he could come up with an appropriate quip to counter hers, something cold exploded in his right shoulder, making him scream (more in surprise than in pain, naturally) and drop his sword. Din reacted immediately and took a stab at him, and he just barely managed to dodge her blow, losing his balance in the process, ungracefully landing on his backside. He stretched out his hands to fend off Din's inevitable attack, but it didn't come. The Goddess of Power was bending down over his sword, inspecting it with some curiosity, which gave Ganondorf time to get up. He looked into the sky and saw Nayru firing icy missiles at Zelda, who kept dodging them, and some of them hit the ground. It must have been one of those stray frostbolts that had hit him; but he doubted it had been intentional, as Nayru seemed fully occupied with Zelda. In spite of his previous determination to take on the three Goddesses on his own, Ganondorf was glad that she and Link were here; otherwise, this fight might already have been over.

"How interesting," Din said, still looking at the Champion's Sword, one of her own blades pointed in his direction to keep him at a safe distance. "Maybe I should kill you with your own sword?"

_Oh yes, touch it,_ Ganondorf thought, knowing that the metal from the old world would hurt the Goddess on contact and give him an opportunity to get it back. Unfortunately, Din seemed to have the same idea, for she shook her head, said "Nah...," put one of her heavy boots on the sword, and kicked it behind her, sending it scratching over the white-marbled floor, farther away from him. He considered conjuring up a lesser blade of his own making, but decided against it, for it would only give him a false sense of preparedness while surely breaking under Din's first strike. He held his arms crossed before his chest instead, and slowly walked towards her.

"How courageous of you, Ganon, attacking me without a weapon," Din remarked. "Are you sure you had the right Triforce part?"

Again Ganondorf was spared coming up with an answer (which he did not really intend to do, anyway), for the sound of an explosion very close by pierced his eardrums, followed by a shriek from Farore.

"Where did you pull that bomb from, you little brat!"

Her sisters voice distracted Din, at least for a moment, and a moment was all Ganondorf needed to cross the distance between them. He punched her in the face as hard as he could, twice, then withdrew his fists as her swords moved up to cut them off and kicked her into the groin. She staggered back, but closed her guard and forced him to back off again.

"I'll see you pay for that, you pig!" she steamed.

"Oh, you haven't seen anything yet," Ganondorf replied, suddenly inspired by her words. "Let me show you how much of a pig I can be!"

He had never transformed into his boar form without the power of the Triforce aiding him, he only now realized. But he managed to pull it off, although he noted that his shape was not quite as large and imposing as it used to. Then again, the bestial wrath that usually overcame him during his transformations and regrettably decreased his cunning and awareness was almost completely unnoticeable, which he considered a fair trade-off. He thought about roaring loudly, but decided against it; not only was no one ever intimidated by that, anyway; he also did not want to distract his allies and possibly endanger them.

"Don't you only do this when you've almost lost, Ganon?" Din taunted him. "Come at me, you dumb animal!"

He snorted, unable to form a human voice, and charged at her head-first. The surprise on Din's face told him he was moving faster than she had anticipated, but not fast enough: She sidestepped him and buried both of her swords in his left hind leg, making him roar in pain. But instead of coming to a halt, he simply ran away from her, forcing her to either let go of her swords of be dragged along with them. She chose the lesser of two evils and let go, and so he ran away with her swords, executing the sharpest turn he could manage without toppling, and came back at her before she had the opportunity to summon new weapons. She jumped away, but his left tusk grazed her and send her careening to her side. Another quick turn, and this time, he hit her with full force, and she was actually sent flying several metres into the air. Ganondorf hoped that she would fall down the pyramid, but Zelda's barrier inadvertently saved her. Of course the barrier was also as hard as any brick wall, and so the Goddess of Power howled in pain as she hit it, collapsing on the edge of the Terrace of Light, motionless. Ganondorf wanted to run her over again, but decided against it; after all, while he might be able to keep her down with brute force, he could not kill her like this. For that, he had to recover his sword, and so he quickly scanned the terrace, trying to find it, also checking on his allies in the process: Farore had shattered Link's shield, but had still been forced onto the defensive, while Link slashed away at her with the Master Sword held in both hands, and he got close to landing at least a glancing blow several times. Zelda was still somewhere in the air above him, and Ganondorf could not lift his neck high enough to see her in his boar form, but the sound of fireballs sizzling and exploding above him told him that she, too, was putting pressure on her opponent, although he really could have done without the sparks that rained on his hide and singed it. Then he saw his black-and-red blade, which had slided quite far after Din's kick, and made a run for it. He reached it, transformed back into his human form, which caused Din's swords to slip out of his thigh, leaving two deep wounds behind. He clenched his jaw, trying to ignore the pain, and picked up the sword with a feeling of great relief. He vowed not to lose it again, although he knew that the tides of battle would care little about his vows, and that he had to be more careful.

Just as he had thought that, another stray frostbolt raced toward him (it was never a fireball, he noticed; Zelda seemed to have superior aim). He spotted it soon enough to dodge it, but decided against it and instead hit it with the tip of his sword, reflecting it back into the sky. He did not hit Nayru, though; the icy missile simply hit the barrier and dissipated. Ganondorf was somewhat displeased at his failure to target it properly; this trick had always looked so easy when he had been at its receiving end.

But he did not have the opportunity to further ponder his failure, because two strong arms suddenly closed around his neck from behind, cutting of his breath. He chocked, but could not even form words, could not call out for help.

"Did you really think you could knock out a Goddess?" Din breathed on his neck. "You make stupid mistake after stupid mistake, Ganon. For that alone you should die, because only the smart must ever survive!"

Unable to swing his sword in a proper arc, Ganondorf dropped it, grabbed Din's arms with his hands and tried to pull them off, but her chokehold was far too firm for that. He weakly kicked out at her, but she ignored it, not even considering it worthy of a mocking remark. His mind raced, trying to come up with a way to save himself. He was already too weak to take off with her added weight, and something, perhaps the unknown metal of her bracers against his neck, prevented him from teleporting away. Coming up with nothing better, he remembered his last-ditch attempt while fighting Nayru and set himself on fire, but Din did not flinch; either her sister had had a weakness to that particular element, or Din was simply made of stronger stuff.

_Just great, _he thought_, now I can't breathe _and _I'm on fire._

He put out the flames before they managed to seriously hurt him, but there was still no way for him to escape Din's grip. Black spots appeared in the corners of his eyes, and as if she saw them and was encouraged, Din squeezed even harder. Then, all of a sudden, a terrible scream rent the air asunder, and Ganondorf did not have to look far to find its source. It was Farore, her quarterstaff split in two, the Master Sword penetrating her abdomen, propping her dying body up. It took him a second to realize the meaning of this: Link had won his fight, while he had lost his. What a shame...

"You bastards," Din said between her clenched teeth behind him, "you'll pay for this! I will make you pay, all three of you!" If Ganondorf had hoped that her sister's death would demoralize her, he was patently wrong.

But it freed up one combatant.

"Link, cover me!" Zelda's voice sounded above him, and he heard the faint whirring of searing arrows soaring through the air. Those were not going to hurt Nayru, naturally, but fire was still unpleasant to her, and they might just distract her long enough to buy Zelda time for one shot...

One shot was all she needed, and, mindful of Din's apparent immunity to fire, she launched a sphere of ice at her, naturally hitting both Din and Ganondorf. The two were thrown several metres away, hitting the ground hard, but it had worked: Din's grip had loosened during their flight, and Ganondorf greedily drew in the air into his burning lungs, ignoring the pain from the impact. Out of the corners of his eyes he saw Din struggling to her feet, but he could not do the same, not yet. Right now, he needed to breathe, so he hoped his allies would keep her occupied long enough...

Zelda did more than that. For some reason still unmolested by Nayru, she launched a veritable barrage of frostbolts at Din, each of them hitting her square in the chest, sending waves of cold through her body until she had literally frozen over. Then Link came suddenly charging in, a scream on his lips, wielding not the Master Sword, but a huge hammer. Ganondorf could not even begin to guess where he had pulled that one from, but it did not matter much: He lifted the hammer over his head, jumped into the air, probably for dramatic effect as well as the additional force of impact, and brought the hammer down on the frozen Goddess of Power, shattering her body into myriads of shimmering fragments.

Ganondorf managed to rise, still dizzy, but once more standing on his feet. Allowing himself no time to rejoice – not yet – he scanned the sky for Nayru, who had been conspicuously unhelpful during her younger sister's demise. He soon found an explanation for that: Nayru was kneeling on the ground near Farore's now empty throne, her hands covering her face, sobbing and wailing.

"No, it can't be, no, please, oh my poor sisters, no, they can't, please don't hurt me, please please please don't hurt me!"

_How convincing_, Ganondorf thought. _But you will not fool me, you treacherous fiend. Not again..._

Ganondorf picked up his sword, again, and dragged himself toward her, intending to finish her off and ending this fight. But Zelda had already touched down to the ground near Nayru and was approaching her, and Link, still quick on his feet, was rushing past him as well. Which would not have been too bad – he did not begrudge them the kill; after all, they had saved his life just now – except for the terrible expression he saw on both of their faces.

Pity.

_You've got to be kidding me_, he thought, and shouted aloud "Wait! Don't go near her!" but Zelda had already reached her. As soon as she was within an arm's length, Nayru grabbed her, jumped up, pulled a dagger out of her robe and put it against Zelda's heart.

"Don't move!" she shouted, all despair having vanished from her voice without a trace. Link froze immediately, and Ganondorf did the same, sighing. That had not been necessary.

"Throw away your weapons, now!"

Link was not armed, anyway, but Ganondorf obeyed, dropping the Champion's Sword (for the third time on this day, as he realized with some dismay) and kicked it away.

"Listen very carefully, princess," Nayru told Zelda. "You will now lower the barrier around this place, and I will escape. That is the only way for your life to extend longer than two more minutes."

"Why not just kill me and escape?" Zelda asked hoarsely; a suggestion which mortified Link.

"That would not be wise. If I were to kill you now, the barrier would only dissolve after some time, trapping me in here with them. The only way that is safe – for all of us – is for you to drop it willingly."

"Then you'll better do it now and get it over with, because I will not let you leave here alive."

She looked pleadingly at Link. "Please, Link, go! Attack her! Kill her! You heard what she was saying about re-shaping the world! She would kill us all if she escaped!"

"Not necessarily," Nayru replied, but Zelda cut her off.

"Like I'm going to believe anything you'd say, after this ruse! Link, do it now! Please, for Hyrule's sake!"

But Link did not do it, could not do it. He shook his head with grave finality.

"Oh Link... I understand how you feel. Ganon! You go and do it! You wanted to fight for the world? Then kill the greatest threat this world has ever known!"

Ganondorf wanted to do it. He desperately wanted to just take his sword, charge towards Nayru and run her through, finishing his self-appointed task. But after all that had happened, causing the death of the person whose words had twice set his life on a new path, a better path, was not something he could do. But letting Nayru escape was also not an option. There had to be another way, and he would have to find it, fast.

"What are you waiting for, princess?" Nayru pushed her, her voice for the first time betraying something that sounded like genuine nervousness.

"Ganon! What are _you_ waiting for? Do it now! If you don't... I'll never forgive you!"

Ganondorf shook his head.

"I already told you once before, princess: I will never ask for your forgiveness. For anything."

Zelda cursed at him and began struggling, perhaps hoping that Nayru would have to kill her if she resisted too hard. Ganondorf's mind was racing. What could he do? An energy blast? No, that would never reach her before the dagger could strike at Zelda's heart. Teleporting her away? He had never learned that, since he did not much care for what happened to others when he was young. Teleport himself to her? Nayru would probably react fast enough to kill her before he could do anything. If only...

Then he remembered a lesson Koume and Koutake had once taught him while he was learning how to teleport himself, and young Ganondorf had been hesitant to teleport into narrow spaces.

"No two things can be in the same place at once," the old witches had said. "If one thing encroaches in the place of another, that other thing must yield, and since no thing can simply vanish from the world, it must in turn assume the place of the thing that replaced it."

That rather convoluted lesson had not made much sense to young Ganondorf, and ultimately, the witches had had to browbeat him to make him teleport. But now, millennia later, by some unfathomable trick of his mind, he remembered these words, and understood.

He looked at Zelda, helplessly caught in Nayru's grasp, and imagined himself in her place. He focused his magic powers, and with a soft cracking sound, he teleported to the very spot she was standing on – and looked at her finding herself in the spot he had just left, looking rather confused. Wasting no time, Ganondorf put his arms over his shoulders and clasped Nayru's head, twisting it as hard as he could. The Goddess gasped, driving the dagger into his chest, but missing his heart, since Ganondorf was taller than Zelda. He barely felt it and kept on twisting, until Nayru's resistance ceased and her neck snapped, her head dangling loosely, her body collapsing onto the floor.

"Ganon!"

Zelda and Link were running towards him, Zelda concerned, Link confused as well as still distrusting. Ganondorf wanted to tell them that he was all right, that it was just a scratch, but he suddenly felt a numbing pain spreading from the stab wound toward his limbs, and he realized that the dagger had been poisoned. His feet gave in, and he collapsed over Nayru's dead body before the two could reach him.

_This is bad_, he thought. _Poison is not something... I can simply... burn away..._

Zelda and Link reached him and helped him on his feet, but his legs would not support him, so they had to catch him again.

"It's no use," he coughed, "I am poisoned. I don't think I... have much time...left."

"Why didn't you do as I told you?" Zelda demanded. "If anyone should have died for Hyrule, that should have been me! I am its protector!"

"And that is precisely why... you mustn't die... Hyrule might not survive without a Princess Zelda to lead it. The Evil King Ganon, the other hand... he will be missed by nobody."

She took his left hand and squeezed it, a look of serenity on her face that he could probably never hope to match.

"You are right. No one will miss Ganon, the monster. But there may just be some who shall miss Ganondorf, the man."

Her words moved him, although a part of himself told him he that was soft, weak, emotional. He told that part to shut up for once.

"Considering the past, how could I possibly ask for more?"

He coughed again, this time spewing blood. His limbs were now completely paralyzed, although he was grateful that he was still able to talk. Still, the venom was doing its work. He remembered something Dolvin had once told him as encouragement... that everything that was alive could die. Back then he had not realized that he was no exception.

_Dolvin... _

He remembered that the old man, too, was dead, and that they had never had an opportunity to meet and talk again, like they had in his jungle. That was perhaps his only regret... that he would not hear his voice calling him 'son' ever again.

He felt his heart skip a beat, and another one. Things were coming to an end, and fast.

"Farewell, Zelda," he whispered, his voice beginning to fail. "And farewell, Link. You may think I'm insulting you, but our encounters have always been... a delight..."

There were no tears on their faces. That would have been too much to ask, considering his past transgressions. But Zelda smiled at him, if only to comfort him, a smile that would have raised the spirits of any dying man. Even Link managed for a moment to put the hate and distrust that Ganondorf so richly deserved behind him, and graced him with an ever so slight, respectful nod. He decided that this should be the last thing he ever saw, and closed his eyes. As his heart stopped and oblivion seized him, Ganondorf found comfort in the fact that he had succeeded in killing the Goddesses for good, and that he was being sent off by people who, while certainly not his friends, at least had ceased to be his enemies.

As far as good deaths went, it wasn't half bad.


	15. Epilogue

**Epilogue: Ashes Upon the Wind**

The large desert in Hyrule's southwest corner was no longer called Gerudo desert. In fact, most Hylian's probably did not even remember that name, or the people after whom it had been named. Nothing ever truly changed here; it was still as inhospitable as two thousand years ago, only populated by few beasts and fewer bandits.

Zelda thought it was beautiful.

That was not a very reasonable way of looking at the desert, she knew. Anybody who lived here – or had lived here, she reminded herself – would certainly not share that opinion, concepts like beauty utterly meaningless in a life shaped by relentless heat, wind and thirst. Perhaps she thought so because the land was utterly unscarred, for the earthquakes sent by the cruel, late Goddesses had only been targeted at populated areas. There were no fissures or rivers of molten lava here, merely the sand, and more sand, and the occasional rock outcropping or ruined structure bearing witness to its former inhabitants.

She and Link had travelled for several hours, on foot, for the survivors in the Lake Hylia camp had few horses to spare. Of course she could have asked for them, and would not have been denied – she was, after all, the princess, and queen in all but name. But she did not want to put any additional burdens on her people, and so Link and her had embarked on this journey alone, pulling a bier covered with blankets behind them. The denizens of the camp had asked questions, of course, but Zelda had put them off for later. They had urged her to take an escort with her, but she insisted that Link alone would suffice, to Yura's ill-concealed dismay. And so they had departed from the camp at noon, entering the nearby desert and walking until the afternoon, with only a few short breaks. They had met neither man nor beast nor monster during their journey, and spent most of it in silence, each of them revisiting the events of the previous day in their minds. Zelda did not like leaving the camp at a time like this, when messengers from all over the country were arriving, bearing news from other survivors. But she felt she had to do this, and would rather do it fast than postponing it again and again.

"I think we've come far enough," she told Link as they reached the apex of yet another dune that would not be there tomorrow. "And it's not like we'll be leaving any traces behind for anyone to find."

Link nodded in silent agreement and stopped, wiping the sweat off his face. Then he pulled back the blankets on the bier they had been pulling behind them on ropes, revealing the body of Ganondorf, his eyes closed, his hands folded over the black-and-red sword fastened to his torso. His body looked as ravaged as the day before, when Zelda and Link had spirited it away from heaven through the portal Farore had used to bring them there after Zelda had re-opened it, covering it in blankets so the camp's inhabitants would not recognize it. His skin was blistered from the burns he had inflicted on himself and his neck was bruised from Din's attempt to choke him. In comparison, the wound below his heart where the poisoned dagger had entered was almost unnoticeable.

Zelda sighed, trying not to waste too many thoughts on what might have been. In the end, it was probably for the best that he had died, she pondered, slightly unsettled by her own thoughts. After all, what could he have done, without a people, without a cause? And could she have allowed him to simply go his own way, not apprehend him and have him stand trial? At least like this, Ganon could slowly fade away from Hyrule's collective memory, until he was nothing more than an old wives' tale, recounted only to scare young children.

There would be no pyre, for the desert yielded no wood. They stepped away from the bier, and Zelda conjured up a small fireball between her palms. Instead of throwing it, she simply let it sink down, until it connected with Ganondorf's dried husk and quickly set it ablaze. As the flames slowly consumed it, the fierce desert winds already began carrying the ashes away. The black-and-red sword did not catch fire or melt, nor was it in any way harmed by the flames. It had been forged by the Master Smith, and was like a sibling to the Master Sword, but she simply did not know what to do with it, nor anyone strong enough to wield it – except for Link, perhaps, but he already had the Master Sword. The rebuilding of Hyrule would require many tools, but greatswords were not among them, so she simply decided to leave it lying in the flames, and Link did not object. If it would not perish along with its owner, surely the sands would engulf it, never to be found again. She wondered for a moment whether the sword had a name. But that, too, did not matter anymore.

A slow, melancholic tune suddenly reached her ears. She looked up, and saw that Link was playing the ocarina – not just any ocarina, either, but the Ocarina of Time. She had not thought of the instrument ever since the night Hyrule Field had erupted in lava and fire, having more pressing matters to attend to, but she was happy to see it safe.

"You had it all the time, Link?" she asked. Link did not answer, absorbed in his playing, and he did not need to. Of course he had carried it with him, keeping it safe in his... well, wherever it was that he stored all his items.

Zelda closed her eyes, listening to the song that she now recognized as the _Requiem of Spirit_ – what better tune to play at a funeral? The crackling of the fire and the howling of the wind intertwined with the melody, creating a sad, yet somehow comforting soundscape, and for a while, she forgot all about the suffering that lay behind them, and the hardships yet to come.

Perhaps half an hour passed until the flames had done their work and burnt out, leaving no traces of the man once called Ganondorf, his ashes scattered by the wind. Only the sword remained, parts of it already covered with sand, soon to be lost forever. Link's song had come to an end, and he was simply staring off into the distance.

Zelda sighed again, trying to find a sense of closure. She had to think of the future, not the past. Then again, yesterday's events would determine part of that future, for the people in the camp had demanded to know where the two of them had been, and what they had done, and would press her twice as hard upon their return.

"But we can't tell them what happened," she contemplated. "At least not now. The people are praying to the gods to lend them their strength in this dark time – how could I tell them that these gods are dead, and worse, that they were responsible for all their suffering? There's no way I can do that. Although," she smiled bitterly, "they probably wouldn't believe it, anyway."

Link said nothing, silently agreeing with her. He put the Ocarina of Time away, fastened his bootlaces and tried to brush the sand out of his clothes, which turned out to be a rather futile endeavour. He was ready to go back, and since there was nothing keeping them out here any longer, Zelda nodded, and the two set out into the east. It was already late in the afternoon, and she hoped they would reach the lake before the onset of the cold desert night.

She would not tell anybody of what had transpired yesterday, not for a long time, Zelda repeated her decision in her mind. But that did not mean the events would go undocumented. Early in the morning, before their departure into the desert, a messenger had arrived at the camp, reporting that the Royal Library had not been affected by earthquakes or other catastrophes – the first and so far only good news of this day. Zelda planned to soon add a new volume to the countless dusty tomes preserved in the library, describing in greatest possible detail the fateful events of the previous day. She would have it locked away under her royal seal, only to be opened a century or more into the future, when Hyrule would hopefully be experiencing a more peaceful age and be ready to learn about its past. In this book she would tell the truth, as best as she could, about the fate of the Triforce, and the mysterious Master Smith, and the fall of the gods; about heroes and villains – and the one man who, in his final days, had been neither.

She – and the whole world – owed him that much.

THE END


End file.
